


To Start Again

by Saltyfruit



Category: Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Established Relationship, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slow Burn, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-08-06 04:43:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 50,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16381631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saltyfruit/pseuds/Saltyfruit
Summary: Stark and Loki are in an odd relationship and it started 3 years after the battle of New York and after Loki left Asgard. No one really knows how their relationship started, only that they were both better for it. Loki coming into their lives was slow, and at first it was strange, but now it was normal. Yes they fought over it and complained, but that was 5 years ago. Stark, Cap and Clint go on a mission somewhere in china, and they get really injured, Iron Man the most. Knocked into a short term coma, he wakes up almost a week after... the thing, he's lost the last 8 years of his memory.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This work was inspired by a tumblr post ((that I cant find anymore T.T )) Its random, and I am NOT sure what I am doing with it. But hey, its here, enjoy.

The penthouse was quiet as the gang sat around the living room waiting for Tony to get out of the shower and come down to join them. The only ones that weren't here yet were Pepper and Loki and they were off at Stark Industries. Thor sat in one of the chairs with his hands laced together looking at Banner warily. 

"And there is nothing to be done?" Steve asked. 

Banner rubbed his forehead and shook his head. "It's not head trauma, Jarvis would have detected that, so what ever happened in China, we need to figure," he stopped and looked at Tony as he walked down and headed to the bar. 

"Hey I was thinking," he started as he poured some scotch in a glass and he looked up at them. "That we can order some shawarma- what? Jarvis order some of that," he said. 

"Yes sir," Jarvis said.

Tony walked down to them and took a drink of his scotch. "You know, who ever we hired to fix up the tower did a really good job, and fast too, what its been a month since he kicked ass?" He smiled into his glass and noticed the looks everyone was giving each other. "What?" Tony asked. 

"Tony," Natasha started when the elevator doors opened and Pepper walked into the penthouse.  Tony smiled at her and walked over to her. 

"Hey Pep," he said, she stopped in her tracks and looked up at him almost startled. 

"Tony?" she asked and then looked around at the rest of them. Tony leaned in and she pulled away. "Hi, Tony, what are you doing?"

"Trying to get a kiss?" he asked. 

"Why?" Tony looked confused before the elevators opened again and Loki entered the penthouse. Tony pointed at him. 

"That's..." he said and looked around. Loki stopped and looked up at him, confusion in the small details of his face. 

"What's going on?" Loki asked his familiar smile sliding into place as he attempted to read the room. What he read made him worry.

"That's... guys... you see that he's here right?" 

Thor stood up and looked at Tony before he walked to his brother. 

"WHY is LOKI in my tower?" Tony yelled. 

Loki tilted his head slightly as he looked at Tony and then to the others. "Can't trick the trickster, what's going on?"

"Brother," Thor started, Loki looked at him his eyes narrowing slightly. 

"Tony..." Natasha started, "What do you last remember?"

Tony was back against the bar and away from the windows. "That criminal being hauled off by Thor to Asgard. Why is he here?"

Loki watched Tony and then he smiled at him there was hurt in that smile. "That's not funny Darling," he said simply. 

"No," Tony said. "Whats not funny is why no one is getting up to kick your ass, again," he said. "Cap? Clint?"

Loki watched him and then a careful mask slid into place, one that he hadn't worn in years. Thor's hand on his shoulder didn't help. "Rogers, what happened?"

Steve stood up and looked at Tony and then moved closer to him. Loki was relaxed around the Avengers, he had known them for years. "Natasha," Steve said and nodded to Loki. She stood up and went to Loki. 

"Lets go for a walk, we'll pick up the food, Jarvis," she said grabbing lightly Loki's arm. 

"I will make the arrangements ma'am," Jarvis chimed. 

"I don't like being kept in the dark, it makes me feel like all my hard work was done for not," Loki said and looked at Tony. 

"Yeah hard work like trying to rule our planet," Tony nearly spat. 

"Loki lets just go for a bit," Natasha said. 

"Brother all will be well again," Thor said. Loki looked around at the avengers and then nodded his head. He turned and headed back into the elevator with Natasha. Tony had his hands out pointing at him as the doors closed. 

"Jarvis why didn't you go on lock down, that was a hostile!" he called. 

"I am sorry sir, but Loki is not considered a hostile," he said. 

"Not considered..." Tony looked at them. "He's controlling you, with his evil glow stick of doom isn't he?"

"I can honestly say no to that one," Clint said from his still seated position on the couch. Banner looked at Clint and shook his head. The archer just shrugged a shoulder. 

"What I really want to know is why he's still not in your prison on Asgard," he looked at Thor. 

"Tony there are things we have to tell you," Steve said seriously. 

"Oh no, that's the serious voice, I don't like the serious voice, Pep help me here," he said. She shook her head and held up her hands. "Have I fallen into an alternate dimension or something? Because that's the only thing that would really explain why you all seem to think Loki is now one of the GOOD guys."

Thor looked at him, "my brother was imprisoned in Asgard for a while, and then we did battle with the Dark elves, I though he died, but it turns out he had returned to Midgard," he said. 

"Yes obviously, so go imprison him again," Tony made a forward shooing motion with his open hands. Thor just stood there a moment, watching him. Tony threw his hands up into the air and looked around. "Fine I will do it myself."

"Stark," Thor said. "My brother had sworn an Oath to protect this realm."

"So that clears him off all he's done?" he asked walking out to the landing pad. 

"Tony the battle of New York was eight years ago," Banner said and that made Tony stop and look at him. "You were just in a mission over in China and you were injured, it messed up your head from what we could tell, you were in a coma for a week."

"My brother was very worried for you," Thor said. 

"What aren't you saying?" he asked and looked around. 

Clint picked up his drink and looked into it. "They ain't saying this because they are trying to spare you," Clint said. "You and Loki have been in a relationship for the past five years, and have been married for two of them. Don't know how, or why, but he slowly just entered our lives through you."

Tony stared at Clint and then pointed at him. "No. I am in a relationship with Pep.."

"Actually Steve and I are getting married in a couple of months," Pepper said. 

Tony stood there and was at a loss for words. "The Cap Steve? Really? I thought I was more your thing," Tony said. 

"We tried, but we're better as friends, and we just drifted, and yes," she said.

"And no I am not in a relationship with a guy that tried to take over my home," he said. "I don't care how much time has passed. Besides he's more narcissistic than I am."

Banner blinked and then nodded his head at that one, Clint chuckled into his glass. 

"I mean come on, do you really think this isn't some trick? he just said he was a trickster," Tony motioned towards the elevator. Thor looked at him and then looked around the room. 

"Stark," he started. 

Steve looked at Pepper and lifted a brow at her. She nodded to him, as he turned back to Tony. "We'll invite Loki to stay with us for a couple of days while you clear your head."

"He knows where you live? Why am I not surprised at that?"

"This upsets me greatly," Thor said and then moved away to the balcony. 

Tony walked behind the bar and took the scotch bottle and his glass. "I will be in the lab," he said and headed down. The others stood or sat in the room a bit in awkward silence. The air thick with something they hadn't felt in a long time.  

Clint finished his drink and sat it on the table. "Well, so much for our normal lives."

"Clint," Steve started. 

"As I keep reminding everyone, I still don't like or trust the guy." He looked around him, "not that I don't trust him on some things, he's been good for the Avengers, and he's very good at using our talents and strengths and minimizing our weaknesses for missions. That doesn't I have to like him personally."

"Do you think Loki is against us?" Banner asked. 

"No." Clint answered, "he's been far more expressive, and the way he closed up, I can tell he is truly hurt."

"Yeah," Banner said and rubbed the back of his neck. "So, what do we do?"

"Nothing," Steve said and everyone looked at him that was still in the room. "We continue to act as if this didn't happen, make allowances of course, but Loki will need the normalcy, and Tony will need to know that it was a real thing between them." he said as the elevator doors opened and Natasha and Loki carried in the take out. They sat it on the table and the spy turned to look at them. 

"Drama?" she asked. Clint snickered. Loki looked at him and pulled out a couple of different bags from the larger ones. 

"Maybe I should take that," Pepper started. 

"I am perfectly capable of taking food to my husband, and defending myself in the process," he said and then walked towards the stairs. 

"Brother," Thor called and Loki stopped and looked at him a questioning brow rose in response. "He doesn't re-"

"I am fully aware brother, worry not," he responded and then headed down towards the workshop. Music was blaring as he headed down, he placed his hand on the wall beside the door and put in his code, he didn't bother turning down the music, he never did mind the stuff that Tony listened to. So he walked behind him and looked over his shoulder at the new designs for the suits that he was looking at, as he sat the 3 bags on the table along with one of the large drinks. Tony was looking at the designs as if he had no clue who came up with them. Loki took the class of scotch as well as the bottle back to the workshop bar and then proceeded to sit on one of the stools with his own dinner. Tony stopped what he was doing looked to the bags of food and then around him to Loki by the bar. 

"Holy!" he stumbled back and knocked into a pile of metal bits. Loki stopped eating for a moment to look at him. His expression unreadable, but not crazed like it was the last time Tony remembered seeing him. Tony then looked to the food. Pulling out the wrapped sandwiches and fries. "Are you sure this is mine and not Thor's?" he asked keeping a wary eye on Loki. 

"I am very sure darling," Loki said softly, the music turning down on its own. But when Loki didn't speak it was just as loud. Tony pointed up. 

"Jarvis did you turn my music down?" he asked. 

"No sir," came the AI. Loki just took another bite of his sandwich and watched Tony carefully.  

Tony looked at the food and then started to eat at his work table, keeping an eye on Loki. "I don't trust you," he said between bites. "I don't know what you did or how you did it, but I will find out, and I will bring you down, and this time for good."

Loki examined the fry he had between his fingers, his face a careful blank to hide any emotions, but his eyes spoke volumes. Tony saw guilt, maybe, sadness or sorrow, and anger. Those were not the emotions he though he would see in those green eyes that turned to him. 

"Well, than I surely wont hide or run if that is what you are concerned with Anthony," Loki replied to him smoothly, his voice unfazed by what Tony was saying. 

"Never use my given name Reindeer Games," he said and Tony watched as Loki's mask smile faltered for a moment, before it was replaced again. Loki leaned against the bar, relaxed, untreated by being in the workshop with Iron Man and all his suits. Which really unnerved Tony just a bit. He noticed that Loki wasn't eating anymore and idly touching the food laid out on the bar counter. Tony reached for his scotch but his hand rested on the soft drink instead. He blinked at it and then looked to Loki. "You took my drink," he accused. 

"Yes," Loki didn't even try to hide it, and that startled Tony more than he cared to admit. 

"What game are you playing with the avengers?" Tony asked. 

"On Friday's we often go bowling with Pepper and Steve," Loki responded easily. "Thor and I will spar in the gym when we are slow."

Tony looked unimpressed. "You lie."

"Do I?" Loki asked looking at him. Tony couldn't tell and then backed up when Loki stood up from the bar stool. He looked at Tony with more sorrow from his eyes than anything else, his face however a careful blank. "Have a good night darling." He said and vanished from the room. 

Tony hummed and decided to add teleportation to Loki's Shield file. "Jarvis pull up Loki's file."

"Yes sir."

Tony then ate rapidly one of the sandwiches hungrier than he thought as he looked at the file. 

"Loki Odinson Stark," he read and his insides cramped. "Known associates, the Avengers, Shield, Asgard, Avalon, Jotunheim, Alfheim, Helheim," he read. "Age: unknown, Blood type: O+, Status, Married. Threat, none. Powers and abilities, strength, speed, intelligence, words, magic teleportation, shape shifting...." Tony read and while he did he finished off the second of his three sandwiches and half the fries. He looked surprised at this and leaned back in his chair. 

 

Loki reappeared up stairs and he looked at the avengers sitting at the table. He had a phone in his hand. "Steve, and Clint I would like a debriefing with you tomorrow at the Avengers compound, I will cancel any and all meetings with Stark until he remembers what happened."

"Wont that worry the press and people?" Pepper asked. 

"Perhaps, but we can cover it can't we?" he asked Pepper and she nodded her head. "I want to know what happened in China and then I will formulate a plan."

"You scare me when you say plan," Clint muttered. 

"Yes, but how often have they worked in your benefit?" Loki inquired. "Before you ask Steve I will stay in the Avengers compound with Rhody and Falcon for a couple of days, to give him time to adjust. I thank you for the offer however."

"Brother, you can always use my room here in the tower," Thor said. "I can stay with Lady Jane."

"As much as that touches my heart to hear, I would rather not sleep in your bed, as much as you wouldn't want to sleep in mine," Loki replied and then put the phone in his pocket. 

"That's disturbing," Clint said. Loki smiled one of his Loki smiles at the man and Clint shook his head. "Careful I might try and shoot you again."

"Because we know that will go over well. I have already informed Fury of Anthony's condition, he will get a fuller report when we know more. For the time being, until Dr.Banner says other wise, Anthony is on medical leave for all missions, Avenger and Shield activity," he said to them. "Is this unfair?"

"No its perfectly fair," Steve agreed. "Tony isn't himself."

"I will go with Loki," Natasha said and stood up from the table. 

Loki nodded his head. "I will see you at Avengers compound tomorrow." Loki said and walked upstairs to the bedroom with Natasha. 


	2. Loki

"You don't look like you slept," Thor said and it almost startled Loki from where he was standing at the table. He looked up at the Avengers as they gathered around, minus a couple of them. Hank was out on a scouting mission and Anthony was... unwell. Loki remembered Thor's statement and let out a soft sigh. 

"I slept," he responded slowly. It was true he slept for a couple of hours, it wasn't restful sleep, but it was sleep. He looked at the table and then pulled up the hologram screen and the area where the mission took place. It was an abandoned compound in China formally used by Hydra and by some others attempting to remake Stark Industries weapons. Loki looked over the ruined buildings around the compound and then plugged in the drive that Clint got when Steve and Anthony deflected enemy fire and provided cover and back up. He watched as blue prints for many weapons in pre-production  from SI, and some from Shield. 

"This is what we were able to recover from the base's servers before they knew someone was hacking into their system, Jarvis has already identified that these weapons were never fully produced before Anthony decided to make his company weapon's free," Loki said. "And instead produce energy and other house hold electronics and software. The base you raided here had several older machines that Stark Industries use to use to build these weapons, Miss Potts has agrees to take back the robotics and properly dismantle them. Shield is going in now to do the clean up."

"Yes we are," said Fury from one of the screens. Loki nodded his head. 

"That is not the only thing Clint was able to get from their server," he said and moved his hand over and showed video footage of a large room with hundreds of what looked like human-like drones. The video had no audio with it and it kept moving back and forth as if it was a security camera. They watched it for a moment before two someones stepped in view of the camera. One was taller than the other, and one was more like a child than an adult given that she was in a pink frill dress and carrying a teddy bear. The man beside her just leaned on the railing before he turned and looked at the security camera and smiled. The man had long white hair, and wore a turtleneck shirt and jeans with thick boots and a long coat, a decorative mask covered his upper face. Then the video died. "The part in that video that we should worry about is this," Loki said and rewound the video to look over the drones and then zoomed in. "Jarvis clean the image," he said and the fuzzy blown up image smoothed out and what they were looking at were not actual drones but cyborgs perhaps. Humans with machinery. It looked gruesome scarred flesh meeting metal bits and tubes and wires coming from their heads where you could see part of their brains covered in a clear domed shell. 

The look on Steve's face was one of horror and disgust. 

"Are those people?" Fury asked. 

"Yes," Loki said. "This woman here was formerly known as Ling Malin and went missing a year ago according to police records in China, the one beside her, Zack Davis went missing one year and one month ago in Florida," Loki said and brought up their files. They both had some sort of military back ground, either in the family or like Zack, actually in the military. Loki pulled up over a dozen personal files. "These are the ones we were able to identify from the video here. All reported missing a year or more ago and in various locations. All have some sort of military or combat back ground." Loki informed the Avengers. 

"Are they... alive?" Thor asked. 

"We don't know yet," Loki said and looked at the files a bit more before he made them vanish from the area above the table. "What did you fight Steve?" he asked then and pulled up Steve's and Clint's reports of the last mission they were on. 

"People, mostly in the uniforms of New Hydra like we thought, captured most of them, only killed a few," he said. "Nothing seemed strange honestly about the battle until Tony was shot out of the sky. When he fell Clint came out and we rushed to him, got his attackers off, then Shield showed up with the backup we requested, and we finished capturing the enemy." He said and Loki nodded. Tony had sustained injuries and Jarvis did a complete scan when they were back at Avenger's base. Nothing bad that his healing abilities wouldn't fix, but he had been rendered into a coma and that had terrified Loki that he had called upon Oberon again to ask him questions. The Fae King didn't know. 

Loki had stayed beside him in the tower penthouse, hadn't left his side for many days, he shouldn't have been in a coma, the powers that the Fae King granted the man shouldn't have allowed it. Pepper had finally dragged him away from Anthony's side and he filled that day with the numbing work he had just shown the Avengers. Once they got the call that he was awake, Loki had wanted to teleport to him. But he went with Pepper at her insistence.  

"going to be?" he heard Thor ask and he blinked at the blond man for a moment. 

"What?" he inquired. 

"Loki are you sure you're okay?" Steve asked. 

Loki let out a breath and then moved something on his screen. "Natasha and Hank will be our ears and eyes for any more movement," he said and pulled up a map. "This area here has had the most kidnappings in the last two years than anywhere else on the globe," he said. "Once Hank comes back from his mission we will send you out," he said. Natasha nodded her head. "Take the glamour watch get use to the second skin. I will brief you in a couple of days when Hank gets back with Canada." He said and stiffened. Everyone became alert then.

Iron man walked in then. 

"Hey nice place you got- why am I not surprised that you know of this place,"  Tony said the face plate still down. Loki turned to him. 

"Anthony," Loki greeted. 

"I told you Reindeer Games, not to call me that."

"What the hell is going on?" Fury asked from the screen. "I thought Stark was on medical leave."

"He is," Steve said and stood still. 

Loki just smiled and held up his hands in a placating manner. "Anthony, darling you are suppose to be resting."

"Hard to do that when there is a super villain on the loose." 

"Tony Loki isn't evil," Natasha said and walked around. Loki placed a hand on her shoulder. 

"As good a fighter as you are, he's in his suit," Loki said. 

"Is there a problem there?" Fury asked. 

"No problem Director," Steve said and cut the feed to him. 

Iron Man looked around. "Stark Tech?" he asked. 

"Most of it, there is a little from Alfheim, integrated into Stark Tech," Loki said. 

"Magic?" Tony asked as his face plate came up. Loki nodded his head. 

"You and my brother often work on tech to assist the Avengers and Shield in missions," Thor said proudly. 

"So why wasn't I invited to this meeting huh?"


	3. Tony

Tony looked at the computer screens and the information on Loki again. He looked at his phone and shifted through hundreds of texts and pictures to and from Loki. Most were playful banter when they were likely at a gala or party or something, work maybe. There looked to be pictures from vacations and of Loki around a holographic table looking like he was working talking to Steve and Natasha. He looked through the database of news and reports and saw the coverage of their wedding in one old program, there was a private recording, recorded by Natasha from the looks of it. He fiddled with a pen as he watched the wedding and all his friends gathered around. They were all so happy and the look on his own face was joy beyond words, and Loki's expression was so open and readable, love, happiness, fondness. It was hard to picture him like that, for he remembered the crazed look in his eyes and the wide evil grin. The Loki he saw in this video isn't what he remembered. 

Then again he didn't remember most of the stuff he looked up. He must have really hit his head hard if he forgot the last eight years of his life. But when he looked at the medical scans Jarvis did on him he didn't see any bad head trauma. He had noticed things about himself that wasn't present eight years ago. He was hungry when he woke up in his lab, really, really hungry, Thor and Steve hungry. He had Jarvis order take out and headed upstairs and looked around. It was simple small changes. The type of furniture, comfortable yes, stylish yes, but not something he or Pepper would have chosen. The coffee table, chairs, and other tables. There was a large bookshelf with actual books that look to be from Asgard seeing how old they look. He still had his Ironman pictures up and they didn't seem to clash too much with the surroundings. There were group photos of the avengers in various poses and partners, it looked like it had been a good day. 

Loki was even in a couple of them, the one with Thor caught his attention the most. Loki and Thor were looking at each other and an almost sad expression had washed over them, something in the lines of their faces and eyes. Tony looked around the penthouse at all the others. Natasha was leaning at an angle on Steve with Clint on the other side of her making what almost looks like an N. Clint and some other guy he didn't know in another, the guy had his arms spread out and what look like metal wings. He would have to ask about that one to catch the joke he knew was there. There was Steve, the Hulk and Thor in another one, they actually managed to get the Hulk to take a photo shoot. He wondered who's idea that was. Loki's likely, crazy bastard. There were several others, him standing before a new building with a strange A with a circle around it. 

"Jarvis," Tony called out. "What building is that?"

"That is the Avengers Compound sir," Jarvis answered. 

"We don't use the tower anymore?" Tony asked. 

"Loki thought it best to move the Avengers Headquarters four years ago sir. The new Compound has ten bedrooms and four labs as well as a large training area to train new recruits. It has an extensive Shield staff," Jarvis informed him. 

"Why did we move?" Tony asked. 

"Loki brought it to everyone's attention that the tower is in the middle of a very populated city and if a enemy decided to attack-"

"That coming from personal experience on his part?" Tony asked. 

"Perhaps you should get the story again from him and the Avengers sir," Jarvis said. 

"I know the story Jarvis, I was there to fight against him," Tony said and then looked at the elevator door when it opened and a woman walked in with his breakfast. "Oh good its finally here. Who are you?"

The woman smiled at him. "I am Sara mister Stark," she said and placed his take out on the table. "Have a good day Mister Stark. Shall I inform Mister Stark that you are awake?"

Tony looked confused for a moment, "no..." he said instead. Sara nodded and then nodded her head and headed out. He walked over to the food and started to pull out the contents and eat. As he sat down he looked around again eating the breakfast burritos. "If the new place is the head quarters then why are we still here?"

"This is your personal residence sir, and Loki likes being able to look out the windows over the city in the mornings," Jarvis said. 

"Of course he would... what is the address of the new building?"

"Upstate New York sir," Jarvis said and showed him the location on a map. Tony dusted his hands off and stood up. "I am going to go on a trip." He then went to down to look over the suits and picked one out, one that looked like one of his original ones he fought against Loki with. Suiting up he took off towards the Avengers Compound. 

When he was close Jarvis came on the screen with a picture of Loki. "Shall I call him sir to let him know you're on the way?" Jarvis asked. 

"You know I really just want to forget about him right now Jarvis," he said and after a few more minutes landed on what he assumed was his landing pad. Machines came up around him. "No Jarvis I want to leave the suit on," he said and the machines retracted as he walked across the roof towards the doors. Once inside he looked around. "Nice." he said and looked to where his friends were around a table. 

 

 

"Take the glamour watch get use to the second skin. I will brief you in a couple of days when Hank gets back with Canada." Loki said then stiffened. Everyone became alert then looking around the room. 

Tony walked in the room still wearing the suit. 

"Hey nice place you got- why am I not surprised that you know of this place,"  Tony said the face plate still down. Loki turned around to him. 

"Anthony," Loki greeted. 

"I told you Reindeer Games, not to call me that." He really felt odd when Loki said his full name. 

"What the hell is going on?" Fury asked from the screen. "I thought Stark was on medical leave."

"He is," Steve said and stood still almost at attention. 

Loki just smiled and held up his hands in a placating manner. "Anthony, darling you are suppose to be resting."

"Hard to do that when there is a super villain on the loose." Tony retorted to the Asgardian. 

"Tony, Loki isn't evil," Natasha said and walked around the table towards them, heading for Tony. Loki placed a hand on her shoulder. 

"As good a fighter as you are, he's in his suit," Loki reminded almost gently. 

"Is there a problem there?" Fury asked from the screen again.

"No problem Director," Steve said and cut the feed to him. 

Tony looked around a bit more. "Stark Tech?" he asked. 

"Most of it, there is a little from Alfheim, integrated into Stark Tech," Loki answered with a twitch of a smile, almost pleased with himself. 

"Magic?" Tony asked as his face plate came up. Loki nodded his head. Tony really didn't like looking at him. 

"You and my brother often work on tech to assist the Avengers and Shield in missions," Thor said proudly. 

"So why wasn't I invited to this meeting huh?" he asked and opened his arms up looking at the Avengers. "And what is a glamour watch?"

Loki looked at him as if he wanted to slap him, the face plate went down just in case Loki had the evil itch. However he let out a soft sigh. "You are suppose to be resting, your head isn't in the right place for this dearest, and I worry for you," he said and let Natasha's shoulder go. "A glamour watch is what its name sake implies," he said and motioned to Natasha and she walked away for a moment into what was likely an equipment room. Seeing that Loki wasn't annoyed he opened the face plate again only to have Loki's green eyes land on him. Natasha walked back out and was finished hooking the watch on her wrist when she stood before them. "A nifty little thing that we came up with nearly 2 years ago." He said and nodded to Natasha. She messed with the face of the watch for a moment and then clicked the side dial and Tony watched as her short red hair grew and became blond and her clothes shifted into a red sweater and jeans with stylish boots. Her face became more angled. 

Tony looked surprised at this. "That's, that's a glamour watch."

"Indeed," Loki said and crossed his hands behind his back. "But again," he said and Tony watched Natasha change back into her self. "You shou-"

"Can you do that?" Tony asked. 

Loki looked at him and Tony watched that sad look come over him again. 

"I can glamour anything," he said softly. 

"Its true," Thor said and walked up next to his brother. Tony watched them as Thor grinned wide and Loki just kept his eyes on Tony. 

"Well I think that's all for now," Loki said and nodded to the other avengers. "I have work to do, and Anthony really needs his rest. Brother," he said and stepped away and walked into a small office like room. Tony watched him for a moment before the windows darkened.

Thor was smiling and then placed a hand on Tony's armored shoulder. He stepped up to him and leaned in. "You have been good for my Brother and he is bound to the Oaths he swore to you, but make no mistake Stark. If he breaks because of you, I will end your life, Oberon's blessing be damned." He patted him on the shoulder and walked away from him. 

"Okay that was strange." Tony said and looked at Natasha. 

"Not really, Loki's been an important member of the Avengers and Shield for the last five years. He's better with the questionable people and informants that we need, and he is in contact with the Fae of Avalon, and he has alliances on several of the Nine Realms. He's a diplomat to a core, but he's much better at being an adviser to the ones in charge."

"I have a feeling there was a story about that blessing, Nat, come on. You can't honestly say that he's turned a new leaf," he said. 

Natasha looked at him. "Walk with me," she said and the Iron Man suit opened up for him, he stepped out and looked at it. They walked down the stairs to the main entry way of the Avengers compound. He watched as there were people walking around until Natasha walked across the clean cut lawn and leaned against one of the trees to watch the buildings. 

"Okay," he looked around where he was at and then to her. "This is a really nice place."

"Loki and Pepper came up with most of the designs, you had a hand in it too," she said. "Loki came back to Earth, Misgard, almost seven years ago now," she said. "He was imprisoned in Asgard for a while, they had some issues and Jane ended up with Aether in her body, and Dark Elves attacked. Frigga, the Queen of Asgard and Thor and Loki's mother was killed in the attack. Loki was still imprisoned at the time. He took her death hard so Thor says. So as a plan to kill the Dark elves Thor needed Loki's help, so Thor broke him out of prison. They followed through with their plan for the most part, except that Loki was 'killed' by one of the Dark Elves. He wasn't and it was an illusion to be free of imprisonment. He went back to Asgard for a while, and played Odin for a day or two and then left, came back to Midgard," she explained to him. "I don't know what it was like for you or how he got you use to seeing him, but for me, I would catch a glimmer of him in a crowd and then he was gone, or when I was on a mission for Shield, he would flicker and then danger would follow after. After a year of this happening to me, and him not actually causing harm, warning me when danger was around, I started to relax and trust that when ever I saw him out on missions he was warning me. I thought I was going crazy. Until I actually saw him during one of my missions," she scoffed and shook her head. "He was there hidden in the shadows, and I saw him, at first thought I thought he was going with the damn guy. But the cocky bastard just put his finger to his lips and dangled a drive from his fingers. Next I new the drive was in my hand and he was gone. I told Steve about my strange sightings." 

"What did he say?"

"He was having them too. All of us were I guess. Thor took it hard for a while, thinking he was seeing his dead brother. But he came around that it was actually Loki, and he was protecting us in some strange way. Thor didn't even understand. Then it just happened, one day about five years ago Loki walked down the stairs from your bedroom and into the kitchen, and no one really batted an eye at this being strange, yes Clint had a few choice words for him and all, but we had just relaxed and accepted him, he had been working slowly for the past two years before that to worm his way into our lives and not intrusively, but helpful."

"And see that worries me," Tony said. "He wormed his way into our lives."

"Yes, but you know of the Oaths of Asgard's people right?" she asked. Tony shook his head. "Once given an Oath they cannot go against or break it upon pain of a slow death, according to Thor."

"What is the Oath he swore?" Tony asked. Natasha went silent and looked at her boot she had cocked out before her while she leaned against the tree. 

"You should ask Loki." she said at last. 

"Okay, why this tree?" he said and looked up into the full green branches.

"Loki put a silencing spell on the tree for a few yards in all directions, its for when some of us want a private conversation without anyone hearing us. And its far enough away that enemies cant use it," she said. "Even works for communication devices as well, so if you take a call they wont be able to hear you."

"So you think he's not lying?"

"I think at first it was just to appease something or someone, but over time I think it means more for him doing this, than anything else had before, and I think you're mostly to blame." she smiled at him. "He loves you Stark, anyone can see that, and know its not fake."


	4. Loki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you ALL for the comments they are all Loved! Cheers

Loki walked into his office after the meeting, he walked to his desk and looked over the reports of Steve and Clint again. For obvious reasons Tony didn't have one. After reading them again he leaned there on the rich wooden desk and looked at the tinted windows.

"Sir, the Shield team from the Florida mission is back and is requesting medical aid," Jarvis said. 

"Have them land in dock B, and have is the state of their team?" Loki asked Jarvis. 

"Bruised, one has a badly broken arm," Jarvis said and Loki nodded. "ETA 2 minutes."

"Thank you Jarvis," he said and then looked at the computer screens and sighed. "Patch him through Jarvis."

"Right away sir," the AI said and then Loki was looking at Fury's face. 

"Is or isn't Stark on medical leave?" he asked as soon as he saw Loki. 

"He is, for an undetermined amount of time," Loki replied and then pulled the chair out and sat down. "Your team will be granted medical aid and attention as well as rooms, I will make sure no one bothers them, they will be given conference room 1 for your debrief if you require it, we will also refuel and stock their supplies if needed," he said to Fury. The man looked at Loki. 

"Sometimes I think you read minds Stark," Fury said.

Loki smiled at that, "I have my ways director," he replied instead. "Accommodations will be given to your special team and I will make sure as little people as possible see them." Fury nodded his head to Loki. "If there is nothing else director."

"Shield aircraft coming in for landing sir," Jarvis said. 

"I must be going," Loki stood up. Fury said nothing else and the screen went black. Loki walked out of the office and looked around. 

"She took Tony outside," Steve said from his conversation with Sam and Rhody. 

"Clint would you be so kind," Loki asked then. The archer hopped down and grabbed his bow. Loki knew that he didn't like following behind him so he let the Hawk lead. "Dock B," Loki said and followed after him. "Jarvis do you have the shielding screens up?"

"Yes sir," Jarvis said. "They are unloading the wounded now."

They walked at a swift pace down to the the B docking bay and already the employees of the building knew to stay away when the dark shielding tarps and magic flowing through them, enchanted as they were. Once they reached the doors Jarvis unlocked it for them and they walked in. The first person they saw was Coulson standing by the medical bed of a young woman. Clint walked right up to Coulson and the man gave him a one armed hug before he looked down. 

"Hey girly," Clint said. 

"Mister Stark good to see you again," Coulson said to Loki. 

"Likewise," Loki said and then looked over the girl in the bed. "You fell from quite a height it would seem." 

"Yeah, it didn't feel so good," she said. Loki gave her a small smile and then looked to the other woman that came out of the jet. 

"Well let me see if I can change that," Loki said to the girl and then looked to the other. "We will provide you with accommodations and anything else you might need for your trip back to your base," he said to Coulson while glaring at May. "However she is not to leave the restricted areas, is that understood Coulson?" he asked the bald man. 

"Still sore from that?" May asked as she stepped down onto the smooth concrete floor.

Loki didn't give her a response. "Well Skye, lets get your arm healed," he said and motioned for bed to move on its own and it did, he walked beside her, they had did their best to stop any major movements of her arm and she was likely under heavy pain medication. He heard Clint talking with Coulson and May until he passed the doors leading inside. He had his hands behind his back as he walked. The girl in the bed watching him. 

"You look tense," she said. 

"Hush," Loki said gently. "You will be well soon," he said and walked into the medical bay where Banner was standing there and looked at the girl. His face made an o shape and Loki contained his amused smirk. "If you could perhaps realign her arm Doctor Banner, I can finish off the healing." So Loki stood there hands behind his back as he waited for the Doctor to look her over and the scans that Jarvis did on her. Loki was silent watching, his thoughts else where. Darker places where his healing magic couldn't reach, the way that Anthony lay in the medical bay in his house, and Loki there watching him, but unable to do anything. Oh that had angered him, angered him far more than anything Odin did, he had wanted to go on a killing spree and find who ever put his beloved in such a state and show them the true meaning of madness. As much as he wanted to, as much as his magic screamed at him to seek revenge, he didn't. He stayed by Anthony's side, lacing his healing magic through the body. He didn't because of his fear for burning alive from the inside for breaking his oath. True his love was alive, but he wasn't sure this wasn't worse. He had kept his word, the vow he had made to his dead mother. There had been nothing for her to be proud of him when she was alive, he would make damn sure she smiled fondly at him from Valhalla. 

He blinked when he noticed Banner snapping at him in front of his face. "You in there Loki?" he asked. 

"Yes, my apologies Doctor Banner I was..." he paused, while he walked to Skye. "I was thinking."

"Yeah you had that far away look about you," Banner said as he dried his hands. He watched as Loki's hand hovered over Skye's splintered arm, and tendrils of dark green smoke softly moved over the girl's skin, she watched with wide eyes as it went into her. Loki had a blank expression on his face as he worked. Mending the bone and muscle back into its proper form and strength. It took him no more then five minutes before he moved his hand back cutting the flow of magic. 

"You will be tired, sleep and when you are fully rested you will be well," Loki said to her and cast a low sleeping spell on her. She closed her eyes and was sleeping before he fully finished the spell. Banner was looking at him. "Your concern is unneeded Doctor, I am well." Banner didn't say anything to that but marked something on the screen and held out a tablet and computer pen for Loki. He looked it over and signed it before handing it back to Banner. He turned and left the medical room and walked the halls of the compound. 

Without thinking his feet took him towards the canteen. He snapped from his day dreams again when he heard his beloved's laugh. He looked to the side and saw Anthony sitting with Rhody and Sam and Thor. Thor was making motions with his hands, likely recounting some tale or another. He stood watching. A week ago Anthony wouldn't start lunch with him, they both getting into work or experiments and forgetting what time it was. He could recall on one hand the number of times they had eaten alone in the past 5 years. He stood silent watching. His brother caught his eyes and Loki just shook his head, and without skipping a beat the Thunderer continued his tale. 

Loki just watched for a while and hummed lightly when Natasha stood beside him. They were silent a while just watching the others sit and laugh at the table. After a bit Steve walked in and tapped Loki on the shoulder. Loki turned and headed out of the canteen, Natasha took that as her cue to walk to the table of men and lean on Thor's shoulder. Loki walked with Steve to his office with Coulson and they sat around the desk. They talked about what happened and what Steve, Tony and Clint fought and what they seen on the video. They were more informing Coulson of the danger and that Tony didn't remember the past years. 

They sat and talked for hours. Drinks were brought in by Sara and Loki sat in his chair listening to Coulson recount how Skye was injured. Getting both the parties up to date on events with each other. It wasn't that strange loosing time like this, but Loki almost startled when Jarvis chimed up. 

"Pardon sirs, but its already late and Miss Potts is asking what you want for dinner and miss Skye is awaking up," Jarvis said. Loki blinked and looked towards the window. The sky was dark. 

"I best be going before Pepper orders out. About Friday," he looked at Loki. 

"That is a couple of days yet Steve, let us not rush to conclusions too quickly," Loki replied. "Go before she picks up Thai." At that Steve made a face nodded to Coulson again and left the office. He sat there a moment more. "Jarvis is Anthony still in the building?" he asked. 

"Yes, he is in the Stark apartments, Banner took him there when he was wobbling on his feet," Jarvis answered. Loki hummed and then stood up, he should avoid him for now, let Tony come to him.

"Let us go greet your Skye, son of Coul," Loki offered with a bit of amusement. Coulson just smiled and slipped into the easy dance of names he had with the two Asgardians. 

When they reached the medical bay, Banner was sitting on a stool talking to Skye and Agent May. Loki moved into the room with a graceful fluidity that only hundreds of years of practice could do. "How are you feeling miss Skye?" he asked once at her bedside and placed a light hand on her arm. 

"Much better, thank you Mister Stark," she said. 

"My pleasure," he said and took his hand away. "I do not see a reason to keep you in the Med bay any longer, do you Doctor Banner?" he asked. 

"Nope all her vitals check out," Banner said and handed Coulson the tablet to sign. Paperwork. 

"Where is Tony he said that next time we were in the area he would show me the new phone he was working on," she asked. 

"I am afraid that Anthony isn't feeling well, he doesn't remember a lot about what happened," he said softly to her. 

"You mean he might not be tricked by your lies Loki?" May inquired. 

Loki looked up at her and frowned. "I do not take kindly to what you imply," he said, Banner looked between the two of them. 

"That you lie and trick people, isn't that within your nature Loki? The God of Lies? Ring a bell?" she asked. 

Loki's lip twitched up and he leaned forward a bit over Skye's bed to look right into Agent May's eyes. "Then catch me in a lie. When have I once, once, lied to you or yours," he held up a hand, "and before you say Thor, Thor is mine and he knows when I lie." he then held up a finger. "One... if you can tell me one lie that has slipped my tongue, I will bow to you." He then got into his relaxed pose, hands behind his back held together and a knowing smirk twitching on his lips. Not even during the invasion did he lie, he just played and wove words around the newly formed avengers and got them to do what he wanted. But never had he lied to any of them. They stood there long minutes, calmly. When Skye got out of the bed and dressed into her normal clothes and stand there a bit did Loki move a hand from behind his back. "I think we're done here," his voice smooth and rolled over his tongue so well, he turned to Coulson, "Coulson if you would be so kind not to bring Miss May to the compound again I would appreciate it. Until your Jet is fully fueled and your supplies restocked please take comfort of the hospitality I offer you in the conference room, beds have been provided as well as everything you require, the showers are down stairs, and the Canteen is open all night. Have a good evening." 

He turned and bid farewell to Banner and stepped out into the hallway. He hated that woman. "Jarvis, Melinda May is not allowed to leave section 9, all other areas unless accompanied by an Avenger or Coulson will be considered hostile," he said, "please update her clearance."

"Which Avenger shall I inquire to-"

"Banner," he said.

"Of course sir." 

He walked down to the canteen, wondering if he should finally eat something. He did use magic today, and he still had a bit of work to do later when night had truly fallen. He walked in and selected a few light items to put on his stomach and sat down to eat. He leaned back in the metal and plastic chair in the canteen and picked up a cube of apple and looked at it. 

"Is it going to bite you?" 


	5. Natasha

The assassin sat in the Avenger's common dinning's bar table with a glass of clear liquid. She was watching the other avengers, mostly Thor and Steve. 

"Trust me I know my brother," the thunderer said again. 

"If that is the only argument that you have I have to remind you how many times he's tricked you lied to you," Steve said. 

"That is how I know," Thor said then and looked to Clint who was just spinning a cup on the table. "He trusts us."

"He trusts us as much as we trust him, and he knows it," said Steve. 

"His Oath prevents him-"

"Yeah you keep saying that," Clint said. "But as you said before he's not Asgardian."

Thor straightened and looked at them. "After all my brother has done for you. After all I have done for you."

"Your brother controls the flow of information he gives us, he's even more dangerous now than he was before. He knows our secrets," Steve said. 

"I fear you may have been damaged in your adventure to China as well Steve," Thor growled. "He has not led us astray, you have no reason to not trust him."

"Hate to break it to you Thor," Steve said standing up. "But no one trusts Loki, even now." 

Thor looked at him with a strange expression and then backed up a step. "Perhaps then you should have said something five years ago, or even three. But if you don't trust him or like him, at least be a honorable man and tell it to him in his face. Once you do I will try and talk to him about going to to Alfheim or Jotunheim." He said and backed away and out of the common dinning room. 

Natasha had heard this before too, a little different, but the same. She sat the cup down on the counter and hop down. 

"Nat," Steve looked at her. 

"Pepper is waiting for you," she said and then started to walk away. Once she had believed in Steve. Played along, and they all tried to trick the trickster, she wondered if they actually could. She hadn't believed it at first either, and Steve's plan was solid enough at the time. But ever since Loki became a source of information and strategist for them they had done so much better. Loki had vast knowledge and he gave it freely when they needed or asked. She hadn't thought Loki's feelings for Tony were real, and Tony had been good playing along, stringing the ... what was he now. 

She stepped out on the patio and looked at the night. They, Tony and Loki had created so many new things to help them protect Earth, shields, non-lethal weapons, medicines with Banner's help. Loki even worked with the Fae and the other realms, they were working on thawing Jotunheim under his request. Loki was the rightful prince of, and he have given his throne to one of his brothers on his real parents side, acting as adviser and diplomat.

But what was changing, or changed her heart was the way Loki had sat beside Tony when he was injured and his magics couldn't wake him up. She was good at reading people, she was trained to do it and had been doing it for a long time. She knew what fake was, even during the beginning of the invasion she had felt something was off. The way he acted and moved and the words he spun. No, it was the look in Loki's face at the thought of loosing Tony and being able to do nothing. 

She had sat him him as he worked his healing over Tony's skin, his long slender fingers running through the dark hair. The abandoned mask of amusement and plotting and just the open expression of love and fear. 

She sat in one of the chairs outside and looked over the yard. 

She had known then, that Loki wasn't playing them, he wasn't weaving lies, or illusions. They were, they were toying with someone that weaved lies and tales for hundreds of years, but then Natasha thought about that line of thinking. He weaved illusions yes, and he did choose his words in a way that lead them believe the big lie, but...

She looked up at Clint as he walked out and sat down at the table with her. She didn't say anything to him as he played with his hands on the table. 

"Nat-" he looked at her and her friendly smile as on her face. "Have you ever thought about, 'What if we're wrong?'" he asked her. 

"What do you mean?" she asked after a moment of thinking. "Wrong in what way?" She knew tho, she knew in her heart that they were.

"I mean if we do this, don't we break our side of the Oath? To have something for Loki to latch to? What would happen if he finds out? He was dangerous before and I have never actually seen him fight but... if we do this, will he be a danger to us?" Clint asked. 

Natasha sat there looking out into the yard. "He would slaughter us for such a betrayal," she said in a whisper, and she wasn't sure if it wouldn't be undeserved. 


	6. Loki

"Is it going to bite you?" 

Loki's lips twitched into a smile as he placed the bit of fruit on his tongue and then in his mouth. 

"If it did Brother I would have more problems than I can handle," he said and waited for the Thunderer to cross the room and sit down. He still had his back to the main door to the canteen. He was relaxed and in a good mood considering. 

"You are in a fair mood," he said. 

"I am. Shadowed as it is by the fact that Anthony doesn't remember me," he said and his apatite, what little he had, was gone. But he needed to eat, he looked at the fruit and then sighed. 

"Brother you hadn't eaten much the past week and you preformed magic-"

"Thor do no think it wise to rebuke me on such a trivial thing as eating," he said with none of his former malice. 

"What do you say to a trip to Alfheim or Jotunheim?" Thor asked. 

"I think you not cunning enough," he said and tapped a finger on the table. "So tell me why I should travel oh worried brother of mine."

Thor looked at him and Loki narrowed his eyes at him, frowning. 

"But I am not am I?" Thor asked, tested. He watched quickly as the smooth mask of amusement settled over Loki's face, and Loki stood up gracefully from the chair. 

"And here I wonder Thor, what ever happened to, 'you'll always be my brother'?" he inquired and watched as Thor went to answer, Loki held up a hand to silence him. "You should know, most of all, not to take me for a fool. Now I have work to do." He said and nodded to Thor before he left the mostly filled plate of cold meats and fruit behind. He walked the halls of the avengers compound and started to fell like an enemy of the people he had actually called friends and companions. He walked into his office and darkened the windows. His magic pulsed under his skin and around body. 

"Sir, are you well?" Jarvis asked. 

"How is Anthony?" Loki asked instead. 

"Sleeping sir," Jarvis supplied. Loki nodded his head in thanks. He walked over to the side of the room and summoned a cot. He lay down, but couldn't sleep. 

 

During the night he had stopped trying and thought. Ignoring his gut feeling that he wasn't safe like always unless he was in a different realm. He knew that was why Thor suggested another realm. Well, time to actually put his skills to use. He knew how to weave his magic to fool Jarvis, and he had the sense of mind to put protections around his office that would alert him of anything. He stood from the bed but looked at the illusion of a sleeping Loki in his place. He vanished from the room then. 

When he attacked midgard the last time he had been driven mad, he only fully told that story to Thor and to Anthony. They had given run down stories to the others. That didn't matter he wasn't here to attack Midgard, rule it or otherwise. If he wanted a throne he had one on Jotunheim. No Loki much liked what he was doing now. He was at the battle site that caused Anthony to loose his memory, Shield was still in the area and he moved around them with no one noticing, the invisible cloaking spell in place and his boots ever silent even on the gravel. 

He watched Shield, they were bringing out bodies and other things from the building around them. Yes they wore Hydra uniforms, the bodies did anyway. But Loki had a feeling that this wasn't really Hydra, shield was crawling all over the place and if he didn't know better he would say that they planned on telling him everything they did here. Of course, they wouldn't. He was no stranger to that, that was why he had spies in the sky and on the ground and in most of everyone's houses. He was a mage, he was friend to the fae, more so, he was friend to the actual wildlife. He saw a couple of his spies now, circling over head looking down at them. To humans there were simple creatures, to him they told stories. 

He walked on and around the building that Steve said where the attack came from. He looked with a mage's eye for anything in the magical lines. It had to be magical, it wasn't trauma, and the way it resisted his magic was something that shook him to the core. He ignored it and continued on. There were faint traces, so it was magic then. He stepped around and stopped when he saw Fury talking with a couple of Shield agents. He listened but it wasn't important, he would have one of the rats keep an ear to them. 

He walked around, his soft leather boots making no noise with the ground as he stalked, seeing all he could outside he headed inside. All the information would be useful that he would get. He looked around the compound with his eyes trained to spot magic, and he noticed the illusion at once. 

_Well now, that's interesting._

Thoughts traveled to his mind as he thought about all the pictures Clint took of the area, and sure enough this wall was one of them. He wondered if he should send in the fools blind. Surely he wont send in Shield. They wouldn't even find the place. So well hidden and the magic perfect, if he hadn't been so keen on illusions himself he would have missed it. 

_Cleaver, cleaver little fox._

Seeing what he needed he walked towards it and placed a hand on the surface, looking to make sure no one was watching, he pushed and walked right through the illusion. The hall way was well lit and there were cameras nearly everywhere. So he remained invisible, no point in letting the enemy know he was there. The hall split into to direction after a couple hundred feet of a slight slope. On the ground there were two lines, a blue one and a green one. Loki narrowed his eyes on them, how much did he distrust this? Enough that his feet didn't touch the ground any longer and followed the blue line. Oh how he wanted to follow that green one just to be unpredictable. 

He looked into any open rooms he could, leaving the closed doors alone, mindful of the cameras. He stopped when he head a soft tap... tap... tap. Looking around he saw the man in the mask on the video feed walk down the hallway before him. Right below a whole mess of Shield, the taping was the man's steady step. When he passed the hall he turned his head and looked at Loki. Well at the hallway, he turned his attention back to the companion at his side, as if he was just gazing at the hallway. 

Loki new better. They wouldn't be here after this day. Perhaps he should have just sent in the avengers. He wasn't done and he still had a few hours, or he could sound the alarm. He thought about it and then continued walking. He would still end the avengers in, even if there was nothing here. 

Something in his gut twisted. He looked down. Who uses a sword anymore? And was gone. He stumbled in the office and dismissed his illusion and the invisibly spell. 

"Sir are you alright?" Jarvis asked at once. 

"Fine," Loki replied and moved his hand away. There wasn't any blood, no wound, just nothing. An illusion... he was an illusion master, and he had felt pain... knew he did. But there was nothing. The door opened and Thor looked at him. Shirtless and pantless. "Thor you are naked."

"I am indeed brother, but Jarvis said your vitals spiked as if injured," Thor sounded worried even to Loki's ears and the next he saw was a red haired woman slip past Thor. She didn't even pay attention to the oaf. 

"Why is it I find my office crowded all of a sudden," Loki asked. "You should know that this compound is very protected, even from the likes of foreign magics, no assassin or civilian or mage can walk these halls un-" he stopped and then stood up. 

Thor laughed. "That is the look Stark had when he figured you to use his tower," Thor said. 

"After the years some things rub off on each other I would imagine," he said his expression back to being amused. Natasha stood to the side. "Brother either return to your bed or put clothes on."

"Would you?"

"Can you not even preform the simplest of actions with the magic that surely flows through your veins?" Loki teased and waved his hand and Thor was once again, thankfully, in clothing. He rests his hands on the table and closed his eyes. "Jarvis how is Anthony?" 

"He was in his workshop sir a little bit ago," Jarvis said. "In the Compound not the tower."

"Thank you," he said and looked at Thor. The larger man had his arms crossed looking at him, Loki just bowed his head down. "I will see him soon." He promised, not sure if it was for Thor or himself. 

"Brother," Thor started. 

Loki looked at him and then past him a moment before his green eyes went back to Thor. "Thor I am among friends am I not? The Avengers, Shield," he said and his eyes turned to Natasha and then back to his brother. "I won him over the first time," he whispered, his heart beat painfully in his chest. "I am sure I can do it again. He just needs time to adjust."

"Yeah as heart felt as this conversation is, I think I may have busted something."


	7. Tony

Tony lay in the only bed in this suite, and it had Stark on the door so he assumed it was his and Loki's when they stayed here. It even had a mini workshop! And he had heard that Loki was staying at the compound, so shouldn't the super villain... was he even a villain anymore? come in and shower and sleep? He would have expected to see Loki here, but he wasn't. Maybe he was like Tony and worked through a night or two every so often, he heard the sound of Loki's voice, he wanted to find out who ever hurt him and deal with them. 

Tony kept glancing at the clock. 

"Jarvis where is... Reindeer Games?" he asked. 

"Setting up a cot in his office sir," Jarvis replied. 

"He's not coming here?" Tony asked. 

"Not after he inquired to your whereabouts sir, I had informed him you were sleeping," Jarvis said. 

"Keep me updated," Tony said. Laying there a while and thinking.  _"He loves you Stark, anyone can see that, and know its not fake."_   Then the videos from earlier, Tony was mostly curious about Loki and his expressions, he paid attention to his own, and he was happy, he was bristling happy in the videos, but even he could tell it wasn't the same affection as Loki showed. So what was he missing? What was so damn important that he couldn't shake this feeling. He reached over and took a small soft foam but weighted ball from the bedside and started tossing it in the air and catching it. His mind too active to actually sleep, every time he tossed the ball up it reflected something, the small amounts of light and it turned from the iron man red and gold to the Loki, super villain? green and gold. 

_"How did you do that?" He asked laying on his back. Loki beside him, legs curled together and a soft smile on his face._

_"Magic," he breathed against Tony's ear._

Tony's hand flew to his ear and the ball forgotten, but he stared at it hovering above him. 

Loki's voice tisked at him, "try to pay more attention my love." 

Tony looked around and then back at the ball. He touched it with a finger and it fell on his face, it had a bit of weight but nothing to hurt from that height. He took the ball and tossed it again and didn't try to catch it. He hovered again before it smashed his face. 

Again Loki's voice tisked at him, "try to pay more attention my love," Tony took the ball in his hand. 

_"You will break your nose or face with that darling," Loki said from the doorway leading towards the shower with nothing on but a towel around his waist._

_"Only if I managed to miss Bambi," Tony said playfully, light._

_"Don't loose your attention then," Loki purred as he moved letting the towel fall._  

Tony could almost feel the pain of his face when the metal object Tony was tossing smashed his face. He remembered Loki's cool hands on his face in an instant shushing him gently while tisking his inability to pay attention, but Loki had healed the wounds as if they were never there to begin with. 

He watched the ball flicker between the iron man red and the Loki green. 

"Oh look we're Christmas," he said out loud. 

He hummed lightly. His memory was more than foggy, and he knew he was still missing something. Is Loki playing a long con? His mind thought, he might remember the past 8 years but he remembers the battle over New York really well. The manic madness in Loki's expression, compared to now, Loki was a calmness that held no trace of that madness, of that anger,hate and rage. 

"Which one was the mask?" he asked and sat up. He couldn't sleep. 

"Sir," Jarvis called. "Loki has set an illusion in his office and has vanished."

Tony stopped, his heart hammering in his chest. "Does he do that often?" he asked paling. 

"When he worries over a problem and doesn't wish to send the Avengers in blind," Jarvis replied. 

"You can detect his illusion magic?" Tony asked. 

"Yes sir, you secretly built several machines to try and track illusions and then put the coding into my main code. I have Loki's magical signature, and while he can fool me with his illusions, his vanishing spell I know quite well."

"He's being reckless?" Tony asked concern. 

"He put up the normal blockage from my sensors, and I believe he believed me fully when I told him you were asleep, so he did not bother with anything else than to trick the eye," Jarvis said. 

"Can you track him?" he asked.

"If he went to any building or near any stark-tech I could easily, but I do not sense him."

"Great, now he's doing vanis- Jarvis," Tony whispered. "Did Loki display these powers when he attacked New York?" he asked. "I don't remember him doing any of them."

"Yes sir, I do believe he displayed the ability to duplicate himself, other wise I believe he just used the staff's powers," Jarvis said. 

"Right, the ones that flickered..." Tony said and then stopped his path to the workshop. "How solid are his illusions Jarvis, normally?"

"You can touch them sir, and they seem to be realistic in all aspects."

"I need to talk to Loki, let me know when he returns," Tony said and entered the workshop. 

"Yes sir. Shall I inform the others to his disappearance?" Jarvis asked. 

Tony sat down at the work table and looked at the few new things there that he had never seen before. He stared a moment in thought. He didn't trust Loki, but did he want to be the bad guy in this place? Everyone seemed to respect Loki. "No Jarvis, don't tell anyone of his disappearance." He sat there and tapped one of the things on his desk out of curiosity and it vanished, Tony swiveled in his chair looking around. "Where is that go?" He asked point to the spot where it use to be. 

"In the workshop at the Tower sir," Jarvis supplied. "It is used to teleport small items to and from both workshops. However what it brings with it is often a mess, not usable for human teleportation as of yet."

"Right," he turned back to the workbench and looked at the other two things there. He sat there and looked at them for a bit. One looked almost like an Iron Man glove but not quite and the other looked to be something like five 1 inch balls all stuck together. He turned slowly in the chair and actually looked at the mini workshop. And when he said mini he only said it because it had less space than his normal one, but there were machines in this area that he didn't remember. And the computer and holographic table were awesome. He turned back to the the worktable and then pulled up the files and looked over everything from the past 8 years or so, reading up on his suits. 

_"What's wrong darling? Can't sleep?" Loki's voice in his ear._

_"The shield generation isn't working, no its working just not quickly enough," Tony said as he went to ball up the shield idea. Loki's hand on his before he was able to put it into the trash can._

_"Hold on darling," Loki said and Tony felt him lean against him. "You are trying to power a magical shield force with your arc reactor?"_

_"Yeah," Tony said and rubbed his head. "It's working, just not like yours."_

_"It wouldn't would it?" Loki chuckled and then flicked the idea into the trash can. "Come eat love."_

The voice sounded sultry and loving in his memory as he sat there warm tingles on his neck and ear and he could almost feel the weight of Loki on his shoulders. He sat there a bit more and then picked up the glove vambrace, thing. Perhaps this was the shield in his memory that he had been working on for the suit. Well, he might as well try it. As soon as the glove, vambrace thing as on his finger tips and wrist, it spread out, covering his whole hand and up to his elbow in a smooth flawless metal and then his hand vanished and before he knew it he couldn't see himself. 

"Jarvis?" 

"Yes sir?"

"Is Loki back yet?" 

"No sir."

"Great, I'm going to go wait for him."

"He just arrived sir, shall I inform him of your need of assistance?"

"No I can do it." Tony said and headed for Loki's office. He didn't expect to see a running naked Thor run past, or a Natasha in anything other than her black body suit these days, but well with the God of Chaos in command, one never knew. Then the alarm hit him. Thor ran towards Loki's office, naked, he hadnt bothered putting on any clothes and Natasha as several steps behind him in her night shifts. His mind kicked into over drive, Loki was in trouble. 

Before he could speed away and check. 

_"I don't trust him."_ His own voice supplied. 

_"What do you mean Tony?" Banner said._

_"I mean I don't trust him," he looked to Thor, "Oath or no, he's plotting."_

_"Okay, here's what we will do, since he seems to like you Tony, get him to," Steve said._ Tony was confused at his own memory. He stumbled and blinked. He then walked in on Thor sounding sad, and Loki looked at him directly then back to his brother talking about friends, of them the Avengers and Shield and how he had won Tony over... but he hadn't had he? And somehow, he knew that Loki knew. 

Tony smiled then and tried to lighten the mood. "Yeah as heart felt as this conversation is, I think I may have busted something." It was amusing to see Thor and Natasha look around for the inventor, but Loki's eyes locked onto Tony's easily as if he wasn't invisible. 

"Well you seem to be quite in the predicament hmm?" Loki teased playfully the same voice that was in his memories and his hard eyes had softened and the look of complete trust and love in them almost made Tony bolt. The look on Natasha's face as she looked at Loki was hurt and worry, something Tony wasn't use to seeing on the assassin. "Playing with things that you don't remember can have amusing effects my love. Did you at least have fun before you came to help?"

Natasha blushed at what Loki implied and Thor shot his brother a look. 

"Brother Tony is an honorable man," Thor said. 

"Yes, brother, I know quite will how honorable," there seemed to be a misplaced note in his tone, Tony couldn't tell. "But also I am reminded that he doesn't remember, so I shall not assume so. Come Darling, let me see the damage you have wrought upon yourself this time." 

"How can you see him?" Natasha asked looking towards the door still even in Tony was standing in front of Loki while he looked at his arm and the slowly creeping metal. 

"I am a sorcerer and a mage my dear, I can detect magic as easily as I breathe, and see the unseen," he said and turned Tony's arm gently so that the paler underside of his arm, covered in the insanely thin metal was facing Loki. He ran a finger down from his elbow to his wrist, green magic following the trail of his finger before the glove vambrace fell away and it left Tony once again visible. He patted himself and then looked at his arms. 

"I am not invisible any more," he said and heard Loki chuckle as he picked up the vambrace. 

"Better to see your splendidness," Loki replied in good humor and the way he looked at Tony. Made the inventor's heart cry. Yeah he was still pissed about New York and he still wasn't sure of the full story, but he knew there was one, and damn it he didn't want to be an ass to betray that longing look in his eyes. How could he even consider that. 

He lies. He betrays. He killed hundreds of people. Sent an army to attack Earth. And with those thoughts, he watched Loki's mirth and love in his face and eyes die away to something cold and indifferent. The smile was still there, but it was less. 

Oh yeah. 

Loki knew.

"Well. I don't know why so many Avengers are awake at this hour, but I require more rest." And then he vanished. 

They were fucked. 


	8. Tony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two Tony chapters in a row... wow! enjoy

The three of them stood in Loki's office with the wicked invisible making glove vambrace, the IGV as Tony will so dub it, lay where it had fallen. He looked at it and was afraid to touch it again with Loki again no where insight. 

"Jarvis, where has my brother gone?" Thor asked. 

"To the Malibu estate sir, he is currently preparing to sleep." 

Thor nodded his head. "He will be back in some hours," he said and looked to Tony and Natasha. "Shall we drink and eat while we wait?"

Natasha leaned against the wall and scratched behind her ear. 

"What happened?" Tony asked. "You were naked."

"Aye, Jarvis informed me of Loki's vitals spiking as if he were badly injured, I was rushing to his aid," Thor said. 

"And what aid are you without your hammer and armor big guy?" Tony asked. Thor glared at him. 

"More aid than you I assure you. My brother trusts me," Thor responded. 

"Does he? How many times as he betra-" he was finding it very hard to breath with Thor's hand around his throat, Natasha was at Thor's side a hand on his large arm. 

"My brother has always had good reason, I was foolish and head strong, where he tried to lead me the path of a wise and honorable king, I thought of nothing but battle, and even through the slander of my friends he had always stayed by my side and did what I had asked, even if he deceived me in the end, he always fulfilled his end," Thor said and dropped him to the ground. He looked at Natasha as she stood there her hand still on his large muscle. Tony coughed several times. 

"What about the invasion huh? He dropped you out of the helicarrier," Tony said. Thor looked at him as if the man was stupid. 

"Aye, but I had my hammer and my armor, he knows me well, and my strength, he got us together, and working together, he is a smart man," Thor said. 

Tony stood up.  _"Thor I am among friends am I not?"_

Tony leaned against the wall and looked at Natasha. Thor was still pissed breathing heavily. "So with the whole adopted thing?" Tony asked in an attempt to calm Thor down.

"Loki is Jotun, Ice Giant and not of my true blood, but he is my brother," Thor said calmly. "He is also the rightful King of Jotunheim, which my father wanted to use at some point. He was kept in a lie for hundreds of years. And because of my peoples distrust and hate of Jotun and hearing Mother tell horrible stories of the Ice Giants as monsters, he went a little mad, with betrayal and anger," Thor said. "Then he fell, or as he said to me, he let go, to fall into the void between. We didn't see him until he came through the tesseract a little over a year later," he said. "When I saw him then he had little of his mind his own, his magic corrupted. I know my brother, and I know he never wanted a throne or to rule over people." 

"He wanted friends," Tony said sliding down the wall and brought his legs up and rested his arms on his knees where he sat. 

Thor nodded his head. "I have Sif and the Warriors Three, but they were my friends and companions, and they often teased Loki for his ways of battle as he uses magic and intellect, rather than his strength. And he is very strong if he choose to be." Thor said. 

"Shit," Tony breathed and rubbed his forehead. "How does he know what was plotted?" he asked.

Thor chuckled halfheartedly, "My brother is a smart man Stark, he is a strategist above all, and he likes it when his enemies believed they won with their clever plots before he rips the very foundation they built it upon out from under them. Then he leaves the battling to me and my friends. Loki made the Avengers," Thor said. "To surround himself with people that were good, and could understand him, he did it even under the madness. This," Thor opened his arms. "This is my brother's empire. Plotting, planning, and watching us fulfill it. We are not pawns, he is with us every step of the way, and he brings out strength in us, and we keep Midgard safe."

Tony looked up at Thor as the blond lowered his arms. 

"Steve wants to betray him," Tony said and then looked at Natasha who had been quiet as Thor spoke. She was looking at Tony, but she hadn't left Thor's side. 

Thor looked sad. "No one but I believes him. And he took a liking to you because you're both smart, really smart," he said, "We... and I was included in this because I was just betrayed I thought he had died in my arms... We plotted against him. To show him what it was like. I changed my mind when he made that Oath, then you married and the Blessing of the Fae King. I had thought my brother had finally found his place, his true place, and it wasn't beside me while I sat on the throne of Asgard. I had started to believe the lie that was wrapping around Loki, seeing him truly happy. I hadn't seen such an expression on him for a long time."

"Oath?" 

Thor nodded his head. "He vowed before Yggdrasil, the All-Father, myself and you, that he would protect Midgard from any threat to itself, be it from the realms, space, or its own surface, and that he personally would not harm another mortal unless it threatened his life the Oath would last until the man Anthony Stark would no longer walk Midgard. Father put a condition in the Oath saying that if he could earn the love of a mortal he would remove my brother's punishment earned from the invasion attempt." 

"Punishment?" Tony asked, and oh boy didn't this sound like story time and show and tell of grade school. 

Thor nodded, "along with being locked up a mage is given punishment for when they attack innocents. The Seidr serpent, it weakens his magic, and causes him great pain, I had it done to me once, it is not an enjoyable experience."

That was the nail in the coffin for Loki. Tony ran his hands through his hair. "You're being quiet Natasha, who's side are you on?" he asked. Her words ringing in his ears again.  __"He loves you Stark, anyone can see that, and know its not fake."_   _Not, you both love each other. 

"I have been on the sidelines for a while now, but I am on Thor's now, well since you fell into a coma actually and he was so worried for you, unable to heal you," she said. 

"I didn't love him," Tony said. 

Natasha shook her head. "No, you didn't." It was whispered on a breath.

Tony rubbed his face. "New York is so fresh in my head, I can't... not now."

"You have a long time Stark, as long as Loki lives as long as I live, as long as the Fae live, you have time."

"I'm not mortal," he said and looked at Thor. 

"None of the Avengers are as long as we, the others vow to protect Earth from bad people," Natasha said. 

"Loki can kill us without breaking his Oath." Tony said. 

"Stark," both Thor and Natasha chided. 

"We're not mortal, there is nothing stopping him, and he knows of the plo-," Tony stopped. 

  _Loki practically withered under him, shaking like a tree in a storm as his long slender whipcord muscled arms wrapped around his back and blunted round nails scraped against his flesh. The kiss was tender, but held fire all the same. Then Loki withdrew his lips to lay his head back on the pillow and gaze up at him. One hand moved from his back to Tony's cheek. "I love you with my whole being Anthony," he whispered truthfully the sound causing muscles to contract in his throat, he hummed. Loki looked at him, green eyes soft and full of the raw emotion. "Don't you love me darling?"  Loki asked after several long minutes of them just being together._

_A soft breath escaped his lips as he leaned down, "as much as I can." he replied before kissing Loki again._

"Tony?" Natasha asked worriedly crouched down before him. 

"Memory," he replied. "He's known for a while... about three years give or take."

Thor and Tony went to the canteen then and Natasha went to change. They weren't getting back to sleep this night. Once they had some form of breakfast in front of them and coffee Tony looked between the two of them, Thor took food from Natasha's plate and she ignored it and then Tony couldn't hold it in any more. 

"You're sleeping with each other," he said. 

Thor and Natasha looked up at him. That confirmed it. "You and my brother are too cunning," Thor said. 

"Not hard to figure out, you were naked and she was in sexy pjs, they were Nat, and you both went running when Jarvis told Thor of Loki's condition and now Thor's eating off your plate, not to mention the touches in the office." Tony pointed out. "How long? And what happened with Jane?"

"As unfortunate as it is, Jane wasn't satisfying my Asgardian desire," Thor said. 

"Odin also liked me more," Natasha said with a smirk. "I fit in more with their race, and Jane had more of a mind and Alfheim suited more towards her, and she met a really nice elf. Loki introduced them, something about his mother's bother's cousin's wife's brother... I guess she's family I don't know."

"Family?" Tony asked again looking between the two. 

"As soon as my father approved of her we had the wedding a month later as Asgardian tradition," Thor said. Tony nodded. "I bet Loki had fun at the wedding."

"Loki could not attend," Thor said with deep regret. "He was banished, exiled from Asgard until he can remove the serpent. You went as Family, on his behalf and brought gifts on his behalf." 

"Wow I have been to Asgard twice and I don't remember any of it."

Thor laughed. "Tony, you have been to Jotunheim, Vanaheim, Niflheim and Alfheim, Alfheim and Jotunheim more than the others, but still, Loki is never ashamed to take you anywhere."

_He was dressed up and looking at himself in the mirror. Loki walked up behind him all grace. "And where are we going for you to dress so finely my love?" Loki breath was hot against his neck._

_"I am going to a charity gala with Pepper for the Christmas thing for Stark Industries," he replied._

_"How long do I have to get ready?" Loki questioned against his ear looking at him through the mirror._

_Tony took a moment. "People have still yet to get to know you Bambi, we don't want to frighten anyone," he said._

_Loki smiled at him. "Of course love. I shall stay here and await your return." he leaned in close to his ear, "and please do return swiftly darling." he gave a feather light kiss and was walking away before Tony could reply._

Tony blinked. Wow he hadn't known Loki a week, well he did but his memories were fogged and gone and coming back kinda, and the Loki he remembers is the Loki from the invasion and even he could tell from his memories that he was a prick. 

They sat there and Thor and Natasha tried to catch him up on anything recent, attacks or the like. Avenger stuff mostly, when Banner walked in. 

"Hey," Banner said and pointed at his back. "Coulson and the rest are about to leave if you want to sa-"

"Coulson's alive?" Tony asked. 

"Huh, hi Tony I didn... I..."

"I am going to go," Natasha said. "Coulson is a secret," she said and winked at Tony. Banner grabbed some breakfast and sat down. 

"Long night?" 

"Long everything," Tony replied. 

It didn't take long for the other Avengers to show up after the sun rose. They all had a tense and pleasant breakfast. Natasha came back soon after Clint arrived and they spoke softly to each other. Then a strange man came into the canteen, Tony didnt know who he was. Actually Tony didn't know a lot of people here, but that was fine. 

"Hank," Natasha called out. 

_One of the new Avengers then._ Tony thought. 

The presence of Loki was hard to miss. He stood in the door way to the Canteen hands behind his back and relaxed. He looked over everyone there, and Tony could just sense Steve tensing. If he could tell, Loki could tell, but the god just smiled at them pleasantly and turned and walked away. Tony wasn't sure but he could guess that that wasn't normal for him the way everyone as looking at each other. He stood up and left the canteen, the tension there was thick. 

For the moment he had Loki in his office alone now. The IGV was gone from the floor and Loki was looking at his computer screen when Tony walked in. His eyes turned up to Tony and he stopped dead in his tacks. Longing. Before the mask came up and the smile, fake, but to an outsider looked real enough. 

"What can I help you with Anthony?"


	9. Loki

"What can I help you with Anthony?" Loki asked the man of iron as he walked into the office, and oh how he missed the simple elegant banter of the past. Anthony looks nervous however and that just gets on Loki's nerves. Letting out a breath when Tony stood there in silence for a moment. He turned and looked back at the computer screen going over pictures of the base that Shield was currently walking all over. The one where he was last night. 

"How did you get to Malibu so quickly?" Tony asked. Loki looked at him and his head turned just slightly. 

"Magic," Loki whispered in his hear from behind him when Tony finished blinking. "Teleportation," he answered for more detail. He took a step back and then turned around and left the office. He wasn't sure himself how much more he was willing to play with Tony. He stepped up to the mission table and waited for everyone to settle. Clint was missing, but that wasn't not normal. Tony even took a seat. Loki eyed the empty chair. 

Before he could asked Steve answered, "he went on patrol." 

Nodding Loki didn't comment on it. Oh he knew better,  _lying to a lie-smith my dear captain, and not very well._ _You will have to do better than that to get my guard down._ "Right, shall we begin?" he asked and watched as everyone settled in. "Hank welcome back, I look forward to your information from Canada."

"Not much to tell actually, X came in quickly enough and took the teens that were causing the issues, Jean said to give him a call if you had any questions," Hank said. "Said he would take full responsibility." Loki nodded his head in response. He actually liked talking to the Professor, at least he didn't treat Loki like he was still plotting against them or trying to trick him. He was smirking actually at a memory. He would have to go there in person again, just to see the flustered woman that was Rogue. He made her angry and frightened at the same time, it was adorable. 

"Thank you, perhaps I shall visit personally," he said as a thought. His eyes didn't miss Steve look at him. 

"That's a wonderful idea," he said happily, and Loki smiled. 

"Well then, lets get to other business," he said. "Natasha and Hank will spy out the area where people keep getting kidnapped, high profile areas, you will have the micro communicators attached to your ears," he said and then both picked up the package before them. "Inside are your alias' and background. You have already been established, try to get caught," he said. "Keep in contact and take the glamour watch."

"Don't the bad guys typically remove such things," Tony asked. 

"Do you doubt your work Anthony?" Loki asked and shook it off. "Even if the watch is removed they will stay in their glamour for seventy two hours, and no one but an avenger can actually use the glamour spell imbued in the watch, and the communicators can go invisible, or nearly anyway," he smiled. "It's Stark-tech at its finest," Loki then looked at the assassin and the thief. "Read up on your personas, and if you have any issues please ask as always. Hank, if you are captured before Natasha you get out, but try and steal what you can. Natasha is the actual spy and we will be monitoring you both. You have access to Jarvis and if he looses you I will be there to get you out and we scrap. On this one I am afraid you are going in more or less blind, I cannot give you any more details at the moment."

"You got it,"  Hank said and was looking over the packet. Loki nodded and his eyes glanced over at Natasha but didn't expect her to comment. 

He pulled up the pictures again from the building on the last mission. "This is the building that Shield is looking over now," he said and stopped when Tony sat forward. A memory perhaps, he didn't ask. "I have been going over the pictures and I noticed that this wall-"

"Why not tell Shield?" Steve asked. 

Loki looked at him and his lips twitched in amusement.  _Careful Steven, are you sure you want to step into my game?_ "I want an avenger team to check out this wall, because if it is something, I don't want to send a bunch of mortals with guns into any area where they cannot fight or defend themselves. The Avengers are much more capable of handling this, if there is something there," he said and silently counted down in his head. 

"Is it an illusion brother?" Thor asked, right on time. 

Loki hummed lightly. "I believe so," Loki spoke and looked at the picture. "It is harder to tell in a photo," he made the off hand comment. "Captain, Thor and Hawkeye will go and-"

"What about me?" Tony asked. Loki gave him a measuring look. He saw the way he swallowed and his eyes went to his throat and frowned. He reached out and lifted Tony's chin up. He clicked his tongue against his teeth and tisked. 

"You are on medical leave as I said, and now I wonder how you got these?" he asked and placed a finger on one of his brother's finger bruises on Tony's neck. 

"Yeah small fight, it's noth-" Tony fell silent when Loki looked at him. Loki was angry, he was hurt and most of all worried. "Hey Bambi, no harm, just a few bruises." Loki's grip on his chin loosened and rested it gently on his cheek. 

"If you insist," Loki whispered and then looked at the others. 

"I insist that I go-"

"No. Doctor Banner has not cleared you for field work," Loki said. He watched Tony lean forward and look at Banner and hid a smile. Banner just shook his head and scratched his hands. He just shrugged at Tony and the inventor moaned and slumped into his chair farther. 

"Can I at least go with you to this X person?" he asked, "I am kinda afraid of what I might find in my workshop at the moment, and you seem busy -"

"You needn't make excuses to spend time with me," Loki said softly and then nodded to everyone at the table. 

"We'll be ready in 10 minutes Loki," Steve said. 

"As you wish Captain," Loki replied. 

"Huh?" Tony asked. "It'll take hours to get to China-"

"When its missions like this, Loki teleports us," Thor answered. "Brother-"

"You have 10 minutes brother is that not enough time to get into your armor?" Loki asked. 

"Clint will be here in 7," Steve said and put the phone in his pocket. Loki nodded and then watched Steven walk away to get ready. 

"Come on Brother," Thor pleaded happily and clasped Loki's shoulders. "You always did it in the past."

"Yes while you and the Warriors three were drunk on the table with terrible headaches and Odin calling upon you to go to one of the Nine, yes brother I quite remember." he said and watched his brother's smile and awaiting gaze, he looked like an oaf again. Then Loki have his lip twitch up and he waved his hands in the air and magic swirled around Thor and his armor was in place. A wide grin on his face, and Loki heard Tony chuckle, and then Natasha burst out in a sharp laugh. Thor spun around to look at her and then checked his hair. It was braided with small pink flowers. 

"Brother!" he growled as he couldn't get the braid or flowers out. 

"Everything comes at a price Brother, allow me this small amusement," Loki said fondly. Thor looks at him and then laughs and hugs Loki. Loki hugs back but its not as quick, his brother doesn't seem to notice. 

"This... this is the Loki I know," Thor said. "How I had missed you brother," he then pulls him away from the table and he is finally able to get the mess out of his hair. "What troubles you?" Thor asked. 

Loki looked at his brother and then smiled. "Nothing troubles me Thor," he answered. Thor looked at him in the eyes and yes he would admit freely to any that ask, barring a well crafted illusion, and sometimes not even then, Thor isn't fooled by his words. Now he had to wonder what Thor thought. "What is going through your head my dearest brother I wonder?" Loki said with a mocking tease he hadn't used in years. Thor smiles at him and clasps him in a one arm hug. 

"I trust you," Thor whispers. "And its long past due."

"Don't," Loki whispered back. Thor just nodded his head and stepped away. He went to go get his hammer instead of letting the blasted thing fly through the complex again. Loki had yelled at him the last he did so. He looked at Tony who was sitting there confused. The playful grin still on the inventor when the image on the back of Thor's cloak ripples for the rest of the avengers to see. Natasha was hiding her face and pointedly looking at her paper. 

Loki was a trickster by nature, and it was always good to play simple harmless pranks on his brother that made him so angry. In truth he loved seeing Thor riled in anger and passion of something, as much as he loved and longed for the inventors look when he worked, that look of intelligence, understanding, of amazement and love at his creations.

But for now, the Thor kitten, because that's what it was, a dark blond kitten with armor and cape and hammer beside it was hugging an adorable bobble of a black widow spider. And Loki was pleased that Thor hadn't thought to check if he just jested with his hair. 

"Oh Thor my brother, you have a lot to-"

"LOKI!" Thor's thunderous voice called. 

"Ah, and there it is," Loki said rather pleased, but Thor didn't come back right away. That made Loki curious. 

They waited there and Clint arrived before Thor came back, and Loki pressed his lips together. He was about to fetch him when Thor did come back with Steve checking his watch. The Thunderer's billowing cape was not attached to his armor. That made Loki very curious indeed. He didn't reply reply but held out hid arms. 

"Shall we?" Loki asked. "Jarvis inform Fury we're on our way."

"Yes sir," Jarvis said. 

Loki stood there for several seconds. 

"Loki," Steve questioned. 

Then they vanished. 

And reappeared beside the building. 

"What do you me- never mind Jarvis, their here." Fury said and closed the phone. "You have got to stop doing that."

"Doing what Director?" Loki asks almost innocently. 

"That too," the man says. "Why are you here this is now Shields."

"Yes, of that I have no doubt, but I don't want to risk your mortals for more, even if there is no danger, do forgive me for this intrusion."

"Risk us for what?" Fury questioned. 

"Hmm, shall we?" he asked and offered a hand forward, again knowing full well that Clint doesn't like to follow him. And the archer falls in line behind his brother, and then Loki, Fury and Steve at his back. It didn't matter they were at his back, friends or enemies so it didn't matter. 

Inside the room, Loki looks around but points to the wall. "Brother."

"So it is illusion," Thor said and walked closer to it and placed his hand upon the surface. "And a very well crafted one, if I had not grown up with yours and mothers illusions it surely would have tricked me."

"I should talk to Strange, see if he know of any mages that might have come to Midgard. Alfheim too it would seem. Just to be on the safe side," Loki said. Thor nodded. "Can you break it?"

"Can't you?" Thor asked. 

"I can tear it down, but an illusion this well placed would take time," Loki replied. 

"What the hell are you talking about?" Fury asked.

"Assume it's an Asgardian thing," Clint said. 

Loki tisked. "Magic, not solely Asgardian, less Asgardian than you believe really," Loki whispered. 

"Will you aid some of your Seidr?" Thor asked holding his hammer. 

"What is seidr and how is it of aid?" Fury asked. "Why have we been forking together for several years and I am just now learning about this?"

Thor looked over his shoulder. "My brother has many talents, more than he displayed for you many years ago. And had he truly wanted your world, no one here would have been able to stop him."

"Flatter will not get you want you want," Loki said mirthful humor. 

"No, but I will get it because I asked, and not demanded," Thor said. 

"Finally, after hundreds of years and more, you understand this one simple thing," he said and walked over to Thor and placed his hand on the middle of his back. "I see you removed my little gift brother." And then he was bathed in green magic and poured into Thor. His muscles grew slightly, and any older wounds healed, any scars vanished and he was wafting off his own red and blue lightening magic. Loki took a step back. "That should do."

"It's an Asgardian thing," Clint said again. 

"What did you do?" Fury asked getting angry that he was being ignored but Loki didn't care as just then Thor swung his hammer and the illusion cracked and shattered like glass, only silent, falling and fading into dust. "Get agents down here now to form a back up line."

Loki looked at the hall again. "Be careful," he said to the three Avengers. "I will be in radio contact, if you need escape let me know. And remember, you're going in blind." He stood there a moment more and then vanished from them. 

He reappeared back in the conference room and to Natasha and Tony talking about Thor, of all people. 

"Still cant see it," Tony said. "A guy that big, nope, no way, I don't even want to think about seeing it."

Natasha and Banner chuckled. "Well I think it would be cute."

"And you're more open and weird than I remember," Tony says. Loki moved up to him and placed his hands on his shoulders, he didn't miss the tense of the muscles and his hands were gone. "No wait, damn it I'm sorry wrong impression." Loki just smiles at him, forgiving but still not touching him. 

"Shall we go?" Loki asked. 

"Go? Oh!" Tony called and stood up. "Yes, go, us, to X person." 

"How eloquent," Loki smirks. 

"My brain is still catching up Bambi, but its catching up quickly," Tony assured him, and he just looked into Tony's brown eyes a moment. His lips smirked at him. 

Then they vanished and appeared inside the foyer of a large house mansion. Loki watched Tony spin around and his eyes go wide. "You didn't do that during New York!" he said. 

"No he sure didn't," said a faintly southern voice. "Hey there sweetie." 

"Hello Dearest Rogue," Loki said and held his hands out to her. She walked over and took off her gloves and just marveled in the feel of his skin. She held his hands in hers. 

"And you can't feel it?" she asked. 

"You ask me every time childling, no, you cannot take anything from me I do not so freely give," he said with a smile. He watched Tony's confused look and then sighed. "Allow me to introduce you again, this is Rogue of the X-men."

"Nice to see you again too darling," Rogue said. 

"Pleasure is mine," he held out his hand. 

"No offence but I don't touch people," she said and waved her hand in the air. 

"You just touched him," Tony said and poked Loki in the ribs. 

"Yeah, and he's different."

"Rogue, are you keeping our guests to yourself?" asked another woman this one with all white hair and her skin dark. 

"Okay I think I miss heard you Bambi, I thought you said X-men, and not X-women?" Tony asked and Loki was finding too much enjoyment of the confusion and light chaos that was happening here. 

"That would be because not all of us are women, as much as it pains my heart mon ami," said a very strange and southern Louisianan accent.  

"Allow me, this is Storm, and this is Gambit," Loki said in introduction for Tony. 

"Pleasure," Tony said and he looked at them. They looked like normal humans. "Why are we here?"

"I need to speak with Professor X," Loki said, "and you wanted to come with me."

"Right, I have been here before haven't I?" he asked. 

"Several times," Loki agreed. Rogue put her gloves back on and then motions them in. "The Professor told us you would be coming."

"Yes I imagine he would know," Loki said and Storm and Gambit followed behind. Loki knew they weren't hostile to him, he knew because Professor X knew he wasn't hostile. The Avengers was his project, his empire, but here he was more than safe from plots and twisted lies. Oh the first time he was here they were all hostile, and had all gathered around him and tried to protect what was theirs with the simple two-toned colored haired woman leading them deeper in. She had touched his face as he had entered, bare handed, but still they had gathered, and though she would drain enough from him to weaken him. He chuckled at their attempts and at their stunned silence as he took her bare hands in his and place a soft kiss on her knuckles. The look of her face when she realized she was touching him, skin to skin with no effect, that was to priceless to forget. No one can take his Seidr from him without his permission, that isn't to mean that it cannot be blocked or tainted, but not taken from him. 

They walked into a large and old fashioned English sitting room. 

"Can I get you darlings anything while you wait?" Rogue asked. 

"Coffee for Anthony please," Loki said. "And tea for myself and the professor."

"Sure thing, and it is nice to see you again, you don't visit enough."

"Tease," Loki played along, "you only want me for my skin." No malice, only light teasing. 

"Don't you know it honey, too bad you're already married, or I will try and mark you."

"And I am sure I would be marked so well," he responded. Tony looked up at him and lifted a brow at Loki and Loki laughed Rogue laughed too. 

"Its harmless banter Tony, normally you join in too, but considering what happened, understandable you don't, I'll be back." She said and walked out. Storm and Gambit had also left.  Loki moved to the couch and sat down on the leather surface. Tony looked around the room admiring the charming feel to it. 

"What was with the whole touching thing?" Tony asked his voice strained but hidden well in a mask of curiousness. 

"Jealous darling?" Loki asked softly. He watched Tony's face shift. "No need to be, I am perfectly loyal in my oaths and vows." He then closed his eyes. "Forgive me, I still feel shunned at your rejection to my touch."

"Hey, no hard feelings, I just, it was a reaction, and a bad one," Tony said. 

"Bad reactions are habits Mister Stark," said an older male voice. Loki looked over his arm and the back of the couch. 

"Hello Professor," Loki greeted. 

"Hello Loki, would you mind?" he inquired as he wheeled himself into the room and at one side of the table. Where Rogue sat the tray down. 

"Not at all," Loki replied as Tony sat down and he handed Tony his cup of coffee and he poured a cup for both the professor and himself before handing the cup to the professor and in that small exchanged let the professor into his thoughts and mind. He picked up his tea and settled back one long leg crossed the other. They were silent while Loki waited for the Professor to make sure he had no ill intent. The look of confusion on Tony's face is amusement. 

"You shouldn't take amusement in others confusion Loki," the Professor said. 

"Trickster Professor, I love seeing others confused, even on my or someone else's expense, confusion is harmless enough if done right. And Anthony isn't being harmed sitting here wondering what is going on. Thought it would be fool of me not to heed your advice, so I have taken note not to go too far," he said calmly. 

"Where was this Loki when he attacked," Tony said. 

"Somewhere beyond reach until it was knocked from his head by your floor if memory serves," the Professor said. 

"I am missing a lot," Tony said. 

Loki looked at him and smiled. 

"Stop it." Tony said. 

"What?" Loki asked. 

"The fake smiling thing at me," Tony said and Loki lift a brow. "Ever since early this morning you have been given me small fake smiles. So stop it."

Loki sat there in silence for a moment, he could feel and head the questions of the Professor in his mind. He wasn't a strong telepath, but he has the gift for it. In the six years hes known the Professor he never hid from him, not one thought, or action when he visited. This was his safe place he returned to, this was his shelter from the distrust, the questions the lies. Because he didn't have to hide here. They took the good and the bad of a person, and they saw beyond that. His empire may be the Avengers and he wants them as friends because they are more his type, what he is use to on Asgard, and they are his for when he was mad and crazed, he labeled each of them as his and his alone. His to love, to punish, to cherish, to admire, to weaken to strengthen, his, and they plotted against him, and none to secretly. At first he was blindsided, fooled by Anthony, but after spending time with him personally he came to love the other. He loved all his Avengers, but Anthony was his special to love. And he relished in their victories, and he cried in their defeat. But the pure hate and disgust he saw on Anthony's face this morning after his comment of his splendidness, cut Loki a different way, tore him apart from the inside. Loki didn't care about being betrayed, he would smile at them for their cunning and encourage them to try again. He valued cunning, and word play, and hidden secrets, and the game of dancing around it, but in the end they needed to trust each other, the game was fun, but when they needed to work together trust was important. He couldn't handle that betrayal, even if he knew Tony didn't remember. The Tony he knew was also playing the game, this Tony, loved no less, and perhaps more that Loki could try and start over and not play that game with him, couldn't stand Loki. And that... made the knife plunged into his heart on the silver platter for him, coated with a vicious poison.

He hid nothing from the Professor, so he let the man read into everything he thought, every action and said nothing.

They sat there, Tony looking at Loki as the other just sat there and leaned back into the couch. 

"Emotions are very powerful and formidable when used right, concealing or displaying they all have a place," the Professor said. "Same with trust. Tell me Tony, what would you do now if you had the full and complete trust of Loki, current memories, not the ones you forgotten."

Loki watched as Tony eyed the man and then to Loki as he just sat there, offering nothing. 

"Can I even have the trust of the god of lies?" he asked the Professor. "Seems kind of counter productive to his title."

The Professor nodded his head. "Good. And his lies, can you detect them? Again current memories, New York is fresh in your mind."

Tony sat there. "I didn't interact with him all that often, watched videos and live feed..." he paused and looked at Loki. "Is this counseling? Are you a councilor?"

"Hardly Mister Stark," the Professor said. "This is a school for the gifted. And I assist in easing emotions and the minds of my students and friends. You are troubled because your memories are lost to you and to me, but you are aware of betrayal in your own ranks." Tony hissed at that, "Loki knows, he has lived long and he understands the finer traits of betrayal and the art of word craft."

"You honor me."

"Even so, he does nothing of this and assures me that everyone in his care will not be any more harmed than needed, and then he would ask them to try again. He is mischievous, he is chaos, and he enjoys the game," the Professor said. 

Tony looked at Loki and then sat his coffee on the table. "So you know everything? How?"

"Professor Xavier is the strongest psychic in the nine, and that includes the elves of Alfheim," Loki said and looked at Tony. Tony was looking back at him strangely, and Loki did nothing but wait. 

If he was honest with himself, he was nervous, he didn't like the way Tony was looking at him, studying him and he wondered why he couldn't have his Anthony back. The plotting, genius that he loved to dance in this game with, but also wanted so much more with but couldn't have. 

"You are you?" Tony asked and Loki saw the Professor smile. 

"Loki Odinson Stark. Fallen Prince of Asgard, Prince of Jotunheim, Mage Adept of Alfheim and Sorcerer Supreme," he said and looked at Tony who looked a little more confused. "And you thought Doctor Strange held that honorable title? No. I am a far better mage and sorcerer than that man. Tho I do like him. Perhaps I will bestow the title to him one day." He took a sip of his tea and then his lip twitched him. 

"That's a real smile, for you anyway," Tony said. "So if you're so powerful why did we kick your ass?"

"Now you ask questions, how str-"

"Loki you're mocking," the Professor said. 

"Yes," Loki said not trying to hide it. "Because I wanted you to. The couple of hundred people that were injured and killed in the battle of New York is nothing," he held up a hand before Tony could protest, "Understand that both Thor and I have thousands upon thousands of killed beings to our names and our hands. A couple of hundred is nothing. At least I left you all clues, and taunted you to band together and rise. Oh rise you did and you all did so so well," Loki said. "Getting that damned pathetic excuse of a magical artifact out of my hands was the best, all powerful scepter my ass," he said into the cup and took a drink. "But you all danced and played the game nicely, following clues and going where I wanted and how I wanted. The tower in New York was perfect, it was in the middle of a large city and it would have been so, so hard for you to have missed, and you did not disappoint, not in the least. I was thrilled. But that thrill died when no one asked questions, when no one wondered 'why was it so easy?' 'Why didn't he have the army amass over the tundras, or in the the middle of no where where it would have taken hours for us to get to?' In the very least my brother should have known it wasn't my style. I was saddened, my thrill gone. I had also hoped you would have asked. 'Why wasn't the hole bigger?' 'why only allow these small handfuls in?' But no. Those questions never came to anyone's mind. I was disappointed in the people called heros. I would have to make them better. Make them think, to plan, plot and wonder. To question." 

Tony looked at him. "Good point."

"Which one?" Loki asked. 

"All of it."

"Too late, I did all your thinking for you, how about you think, and you answer?" Loki challenged. Tony smirked and waited for Loki to refill the Professor's cup, and he noticed Rogue sitting in an arm chair and someone else in the other chair, a woman with red hair. 

"Okay. First one then, why it was so easy? As you just said you let us, but thinking back, its more than that, you were really holding back. Why didn't you open a portal over the ocean or the middle of no where because..." Tony sat there to think, the army had been able to fly and they could have amassed somewhere. Yeah Loki needed the power source, but it was removed already to the to of the tower. And he knew after studying the machine that the portal could have been a lot larger. Tony looked up at Loki. "You wanted to loose." 

"I said that already," Loki said. 

_"I have an army."_

"No you're making a new army, you selected select people from Earth, and you're making us stronger, getting us to think, to plan, and seeing how far our trust goes and what we're willing to do. The Avengers is your empire because you know something darker lurks around the corner. And you're preparing us."

And Loki felt pride, longing and love all at once when he looked at Tony. 


	10. Loki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double Loki chapter

Now his love was thinking and thinking well, all the good. He loved Anthony far more when he was on the same thinking level as Loki was, when they bashed ideas and settled in the workshop at night sitting close and working on new things together. Those were the times when Loki really felt loved. But now, now was different because Tony didn't have all the memories to cloud his raw judgement, yes, he had New York fresher on his mind, but he didn't have Steven, Clint, or himself poisoning his own thoughts, with 'what ifs'. 

"You lying, cheating ass hole," Tony said and Loki lifted a brow. 

"I never said I wasn't plotting something, and I never told anyone to trust me with their undying loyalty. Trust my ability to plan, trust my love, and trust my rage," he said. 

Tony opened his mouth to say something and then closed it then opened it again, "Why?" Loki looked at him and sat his own cup down on the table and refilled it with tea before leaving it there and settling back on the couch. 

"Because I like what I do, Midgard isn't as defenseless as it once was, but its still not defended, there is too much of an internal struggle," he said. "So while the Avengers learn to plot against me, they are learning to plot against someone else, where I allow their mistakes and let them correct them slowly and learn from them with a few carefully placed looks or words," he explained, "I am a safe person, I won't kill any of the Avengers for plotting against me, I expect it, I expected it, it would be foolish to completely put trust in me. Even my brother knows this. This gives them the ability to learn, while they think they are under the punishment of slaughter or even betrayal from me. They are far from masterful, but learning, learning to sway others to their side, or push them away when needed, learning to hide their own feelings. All these skills are needed and I enjoy watching them get honed like a fine weapon." He lifted his hand in the air and waved it back and forth as if dismissing the idea. "I am far from upset about it. They trust me where it counts and that I will not let them die needlessly, or send them somewhere without warning or proper planning, they learned those mistakes early on when they broke from the plan, they got more hurt or in far more danger than necessary, and while I am a good healer I am not the best, and my refusing to aid in their quicker recovery was all the punishment they needed after a while when those that followed the plan got healed quicker and was able to get on with their lives while the others were slower in recovering. Mind, I never let them suffer from fatality even if they broke the plan." He shrugged his shoulders. 

"This is also added to the fact that I watched everyone for a little over a year, warned them of danger coming, and attempted to assist where their skills weren't enough or it would have lead to their capture or death. I cannot have my army dying on me before I have trained them to be the best," he explained. 

Loki leaned forward and took the cup again and took a drink of the tea. The Professor was smiling at them. 

Tony sat there looking at Loki. "Why are you telling me this now?" he asked. "And not before the strange bump on the head."

Loki hummed lightly as if in thought. "Would you have believed me?" 

"Likely not."

"So why waste my breath on something that wouldn't have been listened to when I could just get you to move and act like I want you to do anyway?" Loki inquired. 

"You were using me?" Tony almost sounded shocked. 

"A favor in kind, my love," Loki's lips twitched again slightly. 

Tony pointed at him. "A real smile," he said and then Loki broke into a wider smile and nodded his head once. "Okay, so what do we do now?"

"Life I would assume," Loki said. 

"Come on you have to include me into your twisted plot now," Tony asked and almost looked excited. 

"Why?" Loki was in the defensive, he eyed Anthony carefully.  

"You just told me-"

"Everything I told you is harmless and no one would believe you," Loki said almost sternly. "That is the beauty of the plot, its so believable its not."

"Is it true?" Tony asked.

"It is," said the red haired woman. Tony looked at her, she smiled at him. "Loki speaks no false hoods here, neither the Professor nor I like them, and while we can't actually defeat Loki, he values our council and our assistance from time to time and we his. It's a fair trade as we only enforce this rule if he comes here."

Tony watched her and Loki saw his mind working. It was hard for him, he had the slow build up of years before taken away and the raw memories of him as a villain bent on destroying Midgard fresh in his mind. Loki sat back and watched. Tony slowly nodded his head.

"So what are we here for?" he asked Loki. 

"A courtesy visit," Loki replied. "There were a couple of kids in Canada that were causing havoc in the city, I had Hank go investigate it, and what he reported I sent to the Professor here, and he sent a team to deal with it. We do not often entangle ourselves with the gifted, I would prefer not to step on his toes." 

"Yes, thank you for that," Jean said and he smiled at her. 

Loki then placed his arm on the back of the couch and started to lazily play with his hair on the back of his neck. They started to talk about the mundane, of the classes, they answered anything that Tony asked, and Loki sat there listening. 

_::You are tense still.::_ came the voice of the Professor. Loki didn't look at him, and sipped his tea. 

_::I am concerned, I wasn't able to heal the memory loss,::_ he replied.  _::If it is magic I cannot detect it, and it is not trauma. Perhaps a gifted?::_

_::I could try.::_

_::Not without his_ _permission, never without it.::_

_::I assure you, never.::_  

Loki nodded his head and sat the cup down on the tray and then took Anthony's empty cup and the Professors and sat them on the tray. 

"Oh darling I can do that," Rogue said and stood up. 

"Why don't you help me instead? Anthony I will be in the kitchen, would you like more coffee?"

Tony looked at him as Loki stood up and took the tray in his hands. "Sure, caffeine is always good."

Loki smiled and already Rogue had her gloves off and was standing next to him her hands on his arm. Tony lifted a brow at the action and Loki chuckled. He leaned over and placed a small gentle kiss to Tony's lips. "Trust my love, my Anthony," he whispered and then walked away with Rogue towards the kitchen leaving Tony with the Professor and Jean to talk about going into his head. The look on Tony's face with the gentle kiss had him smiling, it was shock and amusement. Both he could work with. 

He looked at Rogue as she seemed to just enjoy the contact like always. In the kitchen Gambit as playing cards, and Scott is making something for lunch. "Loki," the man greeted. 

"Hello Scott," Loki said and sat the tray on the counter and moved to the sink to wash the cups. Rogue moved over to refill Tony's coffee.

"This is the first time you brought Tony Stark to the house," Scott said. 

"Ah and I think everyone was surprised ami," Gambit said. "But the Professor told us what had happened."

"He's a doll," Rogue said 

Loki smiled. "I tend to like to keep my safe places secret, but wanted to try something new," he shrugged and then leaned his hip against the counter. He chuckled. "What-"

"LOKI!" Thor yelled, and Loki looked surprised. 

"Brother?" he asked. 

"We need help," Thor called and then there was the sound of crashing and a pained yelp. Loki moved quickly to the sitting area and Tony was already standing. 

"Don't you leave me here," Tony started when Loki started opening his mouth. He closed it, waved his hand over Tony and his suit was on him. 

"You are still on medical leave, if you do anything stressful I teleport you back," Loki said. "Brother."

"Still need help Loki," Thor called. 

"Sooner rather than later," Steve replied. 

"On our way Cap," Tony said. 

"Tony..." But Steve's reply was cut short as Loki teleported them out and into the room where the others were fighting. As soon as they landed Loki threw a dagger and pulled up a shield around him and looked around. Thor was backed into a corner, the Hawk was injured and Steve was blocking him with his shield as bullets rained on them from the cyborgs and some people in very strange uniforms. 

Tony's face plate went down and he held up his hands and powered his repulser. 

"Loki," Thor called as he fought back. 

"Yes brother I hear you," Loki hissed and then moved Iron Man back as a cyborg thing threw something at them and it exploded. 

"Woah, okay, these guys aren't playing around," Tony said. 

Loki watched and then shook his head, he moved to Hawkeye and Steve so the shield would cover the injured archer. Loki looked at the bullet wound on his arm. "What is Iron Man doing here," Steve asked. 

"Explain later," Loki said and placed his hand on the wound and drew the bullet out, Clint yelled. 

"You f-"

"Hush," Loki tisked and when the bullet was out healed the wound swiftly. "They are modified and I don't sense any magic," he said to Steve. "Help Thor with the ones on him. We need to drag this to the surface, and in tunnels, not this," he said at the strange room. "Not while the air here is poisoning you."

"Poison?" Steve asked. 

"Nothing too dangerous Captain, just weakening you," Loki said. "Iron Man keep your repulsers on low, don't blast any of the walls, we don't know which ones are for s..." he paused. 

"What are you thinking Bambi," Tony asked. 

Loki looked at Clint. "Did you get any information?" 

"What?" Hawkeye asked. "No were were bombarded by these guys," he said. 

Loki tisked at himself as the Avenger drew an arrow. Steve went to fight with Thor and the thunderer tried to call lightening with Mjolnir, shocking the cyborgs, but it stunned them for only a moment before they renewed their attacks at greater speed and strength. 

"Thor!" Loki yelled. 

"Okay big guy no more of that," Tony said. "Point Break! No more lightening you're charging them."

"What am I suppose to do then?" Thor yelled. 

"For the Norns, you are an Asgardian Warrior use your godly strength," Loki spat. 

"And why aren't you fighting Bambi?" Tony asked. 

"You just want to see my tricks," Loki replied. 

"Yeah, all of them babe."

"Fighting guys, flirt later," Steve said and punched one of the cyborgs with the shield. 

Loki looked to Hawk and then teleported himself and the Archer up on the high rafter beams, and summoned him another of his quivers. "Shield?" Loki asked. Hawkeye nodded his head as a spear flew up towards them. Loki bent down and took out a marker and drew runes in the metal beam. Bullets started to bounce off of the magic. "Your back is protected," he said and then stepped off the beam and landed on one of the Cyborgs. 

Thor sung his hammer at the creations and nearly knocked one of their heads off. Steve, was punching and throwing his shield. Tony was blasting them with his repulsers and Loki himself. He was throwing magic at them. They destroyed many, however Loki noticed that all his magic wasn't getting through, not like he was using his full strength, but the more they fought them, the more they learned and adapted, shields, barriers, tougher skin. 

This was a loosing battle, and one that Loki would have to think on. 

"Anthony, love, bring it down," Loki said. 

"Brother," Thor called. 

"We're still here."

"And I am up here."

"Trust me," Loki said. 

He heard the, 'yeah right' from Clint and the silence from Steve was thick. 

"Yeah okay," Tony said. 

"Tony," Steve said. 

"Jarvis said there are Shield agents in the bunker though," Tony said. 

"Well then," Steve and Hawkeye vanished from the room. They were be next to director Fury. "Captain please inform Fury to remove all Shield from the bunker."

"On it," he said. 

"Thor you head the long way and make sure no Shield or friendly is in danger, Iron Man go around the complex and take out anything structural," he said. 

"Yes Brother," Thor said and bashed one more with his hammer. 

"And what will you do?" Tony asked. 

"I will contain the flood here," he said and stabbed one of the cyborgs in the throat. "As much as it ills me so to actually fight, you will need the time. Now go."

"How-"

"Go. You are wasting time," Loki said. He watched Tony hesitate for just a moment before he powered his suit and took off. Loki appeared at the exit. "No one leaves without my permission," he said to the mindless things. He summoned his daggers and the door way behind him shimmered. He grinned wild and mad, "we cant have you learning my tricks, so I am going to make this quick," he said placing a hand on the wall. "You have information I want." He pushed his magic out into the wall and down into the floor. The wall shifted and moved and tentacle like hands sprang from all the walls, and the floor opened up into many mouths. Loki's grin widen as he watched the Cyborgs being chewed and then swallowed. "All me to introduce you to the acid pits of the Everbeast stomach." He then moved his hand from the wall and started to walk down the center of the room, the cyborgs trying to get to him snatched by the long slender arms and shoved into an open and awaiting mouth. "Another illusion, my cleaver cleaver fox, you disappoint," he said and walked past it as he let his magic infused room take care of the monstrosities. 

The ceiling started to shake. "Iron Man here, everyone out?" 

"Just about, waiting on one more Shield team, you and Loki."

"Got it, I hope you can get me out of this before it falls on me," Tony said. 

"Of course dearest," Loki said to him. 

"Are you okay Loki? Do you need me to help you defend the passage?" Thor asked. Loki walked into the empty office of the bunker and watched the ceiling tremble again. "Brother?"

"No I have it," Loki said and looked over the computer, it was torched from the inside, he hummed lightly, he couldn't reverse time, and his repair magic wont bring back any of the data. He looked around more, the cabinets were empty, and the shelves barren. There was one bit of paper on the desk and he smiled at seeing it, before he placed a hand over it and turned it to ash. "Anthony my love, how is the supports coming?" he inquired. 

"Almost done," he heard and watched more of the ceiling start to cave in. 

"Shield is out, you two finish and hurry," Steve said. 

"Tisk Captain," Loki teased. 

"Must be having a blast if you can tease like that," Steve said. 

"Oh its dreadful," Loki hissed and then appeared by Tony. Tony turned the repulser on him and fired. The repulser dissipated on a shield and Loki lifted a brow. 

"Jesus Bambi nearly give me a heart attack!"

"What happened Brother?" Thor asked sounding worried. 

"Nothing Thor, just Anthony shooting me," Loki responded. 

"What!" Thor roared. 

"Peace Brother it was an accident, I appeared near him suddenly," he replied. "Now let us finish bringing this bunker to a cave in shall we?"

"Keep up Bambi," Iron Man said and started flying through the halls again. Loki just hummed and jogged to keep up with him. He watched as Tony shot more supports and then look towards the roof as it started to crack. They both stopped and looked at it, and then it started falling in all at once. Loki vanished them and appeared next to Thor who turned to them, the ground shaking and cracking. Loki looked at it before he made them all vanish and reappear farther away while the building fell in on itself. 

Iron Man lifted his face plate up and looked at the building grinning like the mad inventor he was. "That was."

"Information lost," Loki said. "And likely a trap that was set after the first one. I will not make that mistake again," Loki was angry. 

"You think there will be a next time?" Steve asked. Loki looked towards him.  _Careful with how you do this Steven._ "What did you even want from there?"

"Information on this enemy," Loki said regarding Steve coolly. 

"For what? So that you can figure out how Tony lost his memory?" 

Loki narrowed his eyes at him. "Careful how you phrase things Steven, wouldn't want to give someone the wrong impression," he said. "And no, its a threat to Midgard. They are stealing humans and changing them. No one in there was alive, they were mindless following orders, but they adapted and learned, tell me Steven, what kind of threat is that?" Gentle reminder that he should watch his tongue unless he is only around allies when confronting his pray, and a question to get him back on track. 

"That it could ruin us if they learn to much."

"Yes, while I assume you thought there was a way to save them, their hearts were gone, and a machine was pumping a blood through their bodies and to their brains, which is what was used to learn and adapt."

"Almost like an AI only not," Tony said. "Using the most advanced processing we know of."

Loki nodded his head. "So while I do commend you for your desire to save those lives Steven, they were already lost."

Steve looked mad, and Loki watched him and rested his weight on one foot and his hands going behind his back. A slender black eyebrow lifted at him, almost in challenge.  _Rise or kneel, your choice now._

He watched as Steven glared in anger and his hands ball into a tight fist, Loki said nothing. "You said we were going in blind, we should have been more careful," he said finally. 

_Ah, kneeling still. One day you will rise and you will be glorious._

"I did. Now we know that, a little more lethal force to kill them at once, or if not able to do that, get them in the open where Thor is at his strongest. He likely could have overloaded them if he had the sky above him. Remember the strengths and weaknesses of your team mates, you're smart Steven," Loki said.  _I expect better of you_ , was left unsaid but implied. He looked at everyone and then to Fury. "What say you?"

"There wasn't much on the outside, so we'll give it a glance over and then leave," Fury said. 

Loki nodded his head. "As you wish, send anything you find over."

"Yeah." Fury agreed. 

"Home?" Loki asked. 

"Home," Steve said. And then the Avengers vanished. 

Arriving back at the complex Loki dismissed Tony's armor. "You, are going back to the penthouse and staying there, you are still on medical leave," Loki said. 

"Hey I think I did just fine out there," Tony argued back. 

"Not arguing that," Loki replied and flicked his hand and Tony was gone before he could reply. 


	11. Unknown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter

Standing there he watched the Avengers converse after the destruction of the old hydra bunker. Smirking he watched Steve's reaction, his anger the mistrust and then to Loki who seemed to be taking it all so well. So, so well. 

This one was going to be a challenge, finally, someone worthy of his attention. He would build him up, higher and higher, and then rip everything away, anger wouldn't do, no. He stood behind the captain and whispered. 

"Loki is right," he breathed. "They were all dead before you arrived, long before. They suffered, it is over now, no anger, only understanding," he said and then moved to Fury who looked as his name sake. "Calm," he said to the one eyed man. "He did what was best for everyone, no one was injured, no one hurt, respect that."

He then moved to Tony and stopped, his emotions were a swirl of the unknown. "Ah, it's you, I remember. I wanted you," he said and then looked to Loki again. "Want... longing, he's sad, so sad, he misses you, wants you... don't disappoint. I will leave you your own emotions for now..." He walked to Thor and had nothing to add to his emotions of brotherly love and happiness. He stepped back and watched them more carefully. The relaxed posture of Loki, and tense yet understanding posture of Clint. 

He was already controlled. His lips twisted up into a snarl. Anger, hate, disgust, and all so rightfully and incorrectly placed at once, a beautiful enigma. Any illusions Loki would detect, any magics likely so as well. "You will come to my arms when I call, and all your heart will spill forth and leave with you nothing." he whispered to Clint. "You will be beautiful and ugly, you will love and hate, you will torture and pleasure, you are to be my enigma, wonderful and terrible, strong and weak, frail and powerful, willing and struggling. everything you will be mine. And I will use you to tear the Avengers down, and shatter them like glass."

They vanished and he was left with just Shield. He didn't bother with most of them. 

He opened his white eyes and looked about the room he was in, it was comfortable, the walls a warm tan color and the bed he was laying in sleep warm and soft. He looked outside and saw the palm shake in the breeze and he removed himself from the bed. Bare feet walked to the floor to ceiling window wall and he walked out on the balcony. His hands touched the railing and he took in the salty sea breeze of air.  The wind whipped his long white hair into his face and he moved it back behind his ear and he looked at the beach some yards away. He leaned down and rested his chin in his hand and watched the guards on the street. 

_How amusing._  

Standing straight again he walked inside and to the closet and dressed in his jeans and long sleeved turtle neck shirt, socks and his boots and walked out of the bedroom. He walked down the hall lined with guards and stopped at the stairs and looked to the girl beside him. She smiled up at him, and he nodded to the 'child' and she walked down the stairs. Her pretty pink and yellow flowered dress bouncing with each step. 

Entering the kitchen he started the morning meal. 

"You went easy," she said. 

"Gathering knowledge dear heart," he said not looking at her. "But yes, I did, I only left 23 golems there, they are now, of course all dead."

"Loki?" she asked. 

"Yes, the Avengers are not strong enough for that many," he said as he flipped the bacon in the pan, the sizzling filled the room. The girl kicked her feet under the stool. She then stopped and put her bear down on the floor. He watched as it stood up on its own and walked towards the fridge and got out the milk and brought it back to the counter before becoming lifeless again. 

"What is next?" she asked. 

"Him, I want to know how he will respond. I will give him a week, after a week we will set loose some golems in New York," he said. 

The girl hummed. "I want to kill people. And eat their hearts."

"All in due time dear heart," he said and then placed a plate before her. The toast was heavily buttered, the eggs golden yolk running along their edges, the bacon crisped and the sliced heart perfectly grilled. The girl smiled up at him. 

"You're wonderful brother!" she said and started to dig into her breakfast. 

"And you're adorable." he replied and went to get himself a cup of coffee. Their Morning perfect and relaxed and with cup in hand he looked out the kitchen window and saw Stark Mansion, just on the other side of the ridge, leaning over the water in all its glory. 


	12. Tony

Tony woke up to shifting next to him and he froze. His mind rapidly trying to figure out what he had done before he looked with his eyes and saw a head of black hair and creamy pale skin. He was still dressed and didn't feel any soreness he expected. So he relaxed and looked at the ceiling. Jarvis supplied the basics for him. It was seven in the morning, it was seventy-two degrees outside, a little over cast expect rain. News was the same old same old, minor things and the politics that it involved. He waved it all away and paused when he heard a soft hum beside him. He turned his head. 

Loki was staring at him, amusement danced in his bright green eyes. "Morning love," Loki whispered and propped himself up on an elbow. His toes rubbed on the top of his foot. He watched Loki carefully and then he smiled, it was nervous, but a smile. Loki hummed again and then moved to the other side of the bed and gracefully stood. Tony wondered how he did that. He was in a type of Asgardian underwear, it had to be, it looked like leather but moved like cloth and looked soft, and cut very much to hold him. His long legs looked to be going on forever and Tony new his feet was bare but actually seeing it was something else. The planes of Loki's back were tightly bound muscle and not so completely smooth skin. Tony's eyes searched him anew and saw the small abrasions in the other's skin. Loki scarred. He watched the other walk into the bathroom and heard the water of the shower. 

He lay there a bit longer running through ideas. He obviously didn't get killed with Loki sleeping next to him, so what could it hurt. Tony's face scrunched up in thought before he stood up from the bed. He walked into the bathroom himself and saw Loki in the fogged glass. He studied the image. Long lanky body. 

"Admiring or plotting?" Loki's smooth voice came from the shower. 

"Yes, also amazed at how domestic you are," he replied. He could tell that Loki's face turned towards him and he he swallowed slightly. 

"Domestic," Loki teased the word with a soft chuckle. "I am not some wild animal that has been tamed dearest." Tony walked to the sink, washed his hands and then started to brush his teeth. It felt awkward to say the least. He watched was Loki slid the shower doors open and grabbed a towel and smiled at him through the mirror. "Shower and I shall make breakfast." 

"Sounds like a deal," Tony said and then watched as Loki walked out of the bathroom and he himself slipped into the shower. It was an odd sense of normalcy, and one that didn't make the danger hairs on his neck stand on end. Its only been a couple of days and already it felt like a month. 

He sighed. What was he going to do? Finishing Jarvis turned off the shower and Tony exited. Dressing in a pair of jeans and a simple black t-shirt. He planed on spending time in his workshop. Walking into the kitchen he saw Loki at the stove, one hip resting on the counter. Smooth dark jeans, and a t-shirt to match, he looked over his shoulder at Tony as he entered. There were two mugs on the counter filled with coffee and the pot to the side on a heat try. The platter of pancakes and eggs also rested there, toast was on the side and Tony smelt bacon. 

"I might just keep you," Tony teased. 

Loki's smile teased back, "are you sure I am domestic enough?" 

Tony chuckled and sat down and grabbed his coffee and took a sip. He closed his eyes and took a longer drink of the liquid. He looked at the platter and then the scoop. When Loki sat the tray of bacon down and slid into his seat. Tony happily dug in. Loki watched him as he took his own mug of coffee. 

"Not what I expected from a Norse god," Tony said. "Cooking, showering, sleeping? Nope not expected."

Loki chuckled. "I am not my brother Anthony," Loki said and then got his own food. 

"Eating that's also a new one."

"All living things must eat," Loki replied and then leaned back in the chair. "I am no exception to this rule. I learned to cook on Alfheim with the elves."

Tony nodded his head. "You already spoke of Alfheim more than Asgard, and I don't have all my memories still."

"Right. Mother sent me to Alfheim when her teachings were no longer working as I surpassed her abilities. She took both Thor and I to Alfheim. He learned of the histories of the Nine Realms, and I learned history and magics," he explained and they ate in silence for a bit. 

"Any plans?" 

"Currently no, unless you want to go bowling with Steven and Pepper," he said with an amused gleam in his eyes. 

"That's really a thing?"

"That's really a thing," Loki answered back and hid his smile with his mug. They finished breakfast and Tony was surprised that all the food was gone. Loki took the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher and rinsed out the empty coffee pot. Tony finishing the last mug. 

"Do you do this normally?" he asked. He remembers just ordering food when ever he wanted. 

"Normally no, I do it when we stay in Malibu mostly," he said and took the mug when Tony was finished and placed it on the rack before closing the dishwasher and walked back to the counter and leaned against it. 

"You look strange in modern clothes," Tony said. Loki smirked at him. 

"Prefer me in my Asgardian cloth?" Loki asked. 

"It's the right look," Tony replied. Loki hummed at him again. 

"What are you planning in the workshop?" he asked. 

"Not sure yet," Tony said honestly. "Can you detect lies Loki?"

"That is an odd question," Loki almost pouted and Tony smirked. This was a new? or not so new side of Loki, he wasn't sure. "I can, most of the time. A cleverly hidden lie showed in most truth is harder, but more often than not."

"How?" Tony asked. "Is it magic or something else?" 

Watching as Loki tilted his head and the way Loki regarded him with his green eyes made him feel like he was under the spot light for the press. There was however no malice, only amusement. "It is an inborn ability more than not, tied to my Seidr," he answered. 

"Why are you telling me?" 

Loki's eyes narrowed on him and his lips pressed together, the Norse god was considering him. That was awkward. "You asked," was the simple reply. 

"I asked?"

"You did."

"Not helping."

"Always."

"Loki."

"Hum?" 

Then Tony laughed and watched the smile on the others face twitch slightly. "How do I put up with you?"

Then the mirth died slightly. "Normally? Though a lot of working, alcohol and sex," Loki slithered back up to a standing position and crossed the kitchen to the other counter and rested his hip against it. His legs crossing. 

Tony swiveled in his chair. "Okay that question made you upset."

"Reading me now Anthony?" Loki asked and placed his phone on the counter. 

"That one was simple enough," Tony said. He heard Loki hum again. "Hey, not drinking now, not working or having sex. Talking, is this new for us?"

"Not so much, normally we talk of work or projects."

"But no meaningful conversations," Tony stated rather than asked and looked towards Loki. The jotun was just standing there looking at him, a blank expression on his face, not giving him much. "Okay, you are a good cook by the way, everything was tasty." Loki lifted one slender brow at him, curious. "You're smart, I like smart, I assume we work together given some of the new tech. You have a very personal touch in the living spaces, and have settled in over the years. I assume you like reading as you are a mage," he also indicated to the large bookshelf that he remembers wasn't there during the invasion with the old books and some new ones. He looked at Loki, the man still wasn't giving anything away for him to go on. Tony studied him for a longer time. "You are really good at playing mannequin."

"Or maybe I like to see you squirm?" the voice was beside his ear and the breath warm on his skin. Tony turned and looked at Loki. 

"I think you like playing tricks, if yesterday was any indication," he said remembering Thor's hair and picture on Thor's cape. "You bore easy."

"Far more than you have said to me regarding myself in many years dearest. I am flattered, but flattery will only go so far," he replied and then lazily slid his arms over Tony's shoulders. Tony could feel the power in them and looked to the side at Loki's calm face, as the myth of a man wrapped his arms around Tony's chest. Loki rested his chin on his shoulder and closed his eyes. Tony wasn't sure, but he had the feeling that Loki was seeking comfort. Tony patted his arms and let his hand rest there. They were silent a while. Tony didn't have it in him. Too much stuff muddling in his head, but the way they were now, it was nice. Yes he had the 'evil' bastard behind him, had him in his bed sleeping and he was still very much alive. Tony was a genius, and not an ignorant one. 

So he sat there and willed away the negative emotions because they weren't helping. The Professor said so too, also said that Loki new of the bad thoughts too, but that was because he was really good at reading people and not minds. 

"You know Bambi," there was a soft noise in his ear. "The chair in my workshop is far more comfortable." Again a sound and Tony chuckled. He didn't give Loki time to remove himself and instead latched his arms under the jean clad butt and lifted. The startled noise made him laugh harder, but Loki didn't protest and instead wrapped his legs around the inventor's waist. 

"You are insufferable," Loki grumbled at his shoulder. 

Tony walked towards the elevator and Jarvis had it open before Tony walked in. "And you are clingy," he said and felt Loki loosen his hold to remove himself. "Stop that, I didn't say it was bad." He sighed again when the arms tightened again.

"You are being very demanding dearest."

"Yep. Deal with it, we're spending the day together and then later bowling with Pep and Steve... that just sounds strange. Hey want to invite Thor and Nat too? Make it a couples thing?" Tony asked. Loki had his head on the inventor's shoulder, and he hummed again, a pleased hum this time not an indifferent one. "Great. Jarvis call Pepper when we get into the workshop."

"Yes sir."

When the elevator stopped Tony walked just the short distance to the normally locked door, but Jarvis opened it before Tony even got there. He looked in it and sighed. He was hope here. Loki opened his eyes but didn't try and move any, he closed them again and hummed lightly. Tony walked to the large work desk and the chair. He wondered for a moment how he could keep Loki close but also sit in the chair. 

"You are puzzling out a very simple solution to an equally simple problem," Tony almost jumped and looked at Loki's face eyeing the chair and noticed that Loki had unwound his legs. Tong sighed and let Loki down, not that he needed to, the god could teleport away. Tony moved towards the chair and he felt Loki's arms slide over his shoulders letting him go. The computers came on and Dum-E came to attention and moved over closer. 

Loki moved to the bar and poured a glass of water and headed back to the desk. He sat the glass down and then Loki elegantly slid into his lap and draped his long legs over the arm of the chair. 

"You're a cat," Tony said and the playful twitch of Loki's lip had him lifting a brow. 

"Better than your back isn't it dearest?" Loki inquired. 

"Yeah I can kinda work," Tony said, "what I need to do now is go over everything I have been doing the last eight years before I even start on something new. So yeah, this works." 

There was a pleased hum from Loki before the god rested his head against Tony's shoulder and brought his phone up and looked over the contents while he himself went over all the projects in their folders. 

They didn't talk, but they sat in comfortable silence, each doing work, and Tony couldn't believe how comfortable and bony the bony looking Asgardian was in his lap. He was focused on the projects, the glamour watch, the communication rings and defense bracelets. The new Iron Man suits, and hud readings to detect minor magics and illusion. Shields for the Iron Man and other Avengers. New weapons that he and the others used, most if then nonlethal. At some point in time Loki removed himself from Tony's lap and left the workshop. He only leaned forward and kept looking at all the little gadgets and magical things in his database. 

Then Loki returned, sat a plate of food in front of him. He ate without thinking. It was gone when he remembered to look and the glass of water was never empty. After that he found Loki in his lap again looking at what he was going over, projects now that were ideas. New designs for the Iron Man suit. 

"Only have an hour left to get ready for bowling dearest," Loki said and that startled Tony out of his thoughts and he looked down at Loki leaning against his shoulder, legs draped over the arm of the chair. 

"Comfy?" Tony asked. 

"Yes indeed, and Pepper agreed to invite Thor and Natasha, I already talked with both of them," Loki said. 

Tony winced. "I forgot."

"Yes."

"Angry?"

"No."

"Just comfy?" Tony chuckled. 

"Very." 

Tony laughed again and then placed a hand on Loki's jean covered leg and squeezed the shin. "Well I am sorry to ruin your relaxation but we do need to get ready and as lovely as your teleportation is, I also like my cars."

Loki rolled his eyes and swung his legs down dramatically, graceful, but dramatic and stood up. "Fine, only if its not red," Loki said and then walked out of the workshop with Tony behind him. 

"What is wrong with red? I think you would look good in red," he stopped when Loki turned and gave him a look. "oookay," Tony drawled out, "no red for Loki." 

 


	13. Loki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay.

Bowling for the most part was a leisure activity, it was mundane and supplied enjoyment and entertainment. Even if it still made no sense to him. Loki sat at the score table looking at the little boxes and the numbers in them and then to the screen above their lane. There was a frown on the trickster's face and at the sound of the deafening clash on the end of the lane and then the resounding whoop from one blond. The god exchanged a look with each other. Thor was understandable, this was his fist time at the Midgardian sport. Loki had been doing it for 3 years and he was still, really bad. Steven patted Loki's shoulder when he stepped off the step up for the bowling. Loki marked another X for the man on the board to mirror the one on the screen. 

Pepper was the last one and Loki leaned back. He felt calloused fingers in his hair and he closed his eyes and hummed lightly. 

"I found a weakness," stated Anthony and Loki opened his eyes and looked at the man upside down. He watched Anthony search for something on him. He wasn't sure what, but the man chuckled. 

"What?" Loki asked him and watched Anthony shake his head, the joke playing in the brown eyes. Loki looked up when the sound of pins hit and he marked the score down. 

Just as Pepper was about to throw the ball again, gun shots rang around them. The other people screamed and ducked. Loki looked over at the entrance to the bowling alley and sighed. 

"A bowling alley?" Steve asked his brows drawn down in confusion. Thor's hands tightened into fists but no one made a move to attack the attackers. 

"Huh, guys, bad peo-" he stopped when a gun was placed against his back and a bag was offered to them. 

"Phones, civilians," said the man with dark hair and little more than a five o'clock shadow. They all took out their phones and placed them into the back. Loki saw Tony look at him confused when he pulled his phone out. One of the 15 men had them move with the others in the bowling alley. 

"Why aren't we fighting them?" Tony asked. 

"Terms of our agreement for being sanctioned vigilantes and breaking most laws, most of the time," Natasha said. "When in civilian clothing, we are civilians and all laws apply to us."

"It is rather displeasing to know that we can defeat them but cannot," Thor said. 

"In this crowd, dear brother, you would risk far more lives than just being compliant," Loki said and stood there arms folded he was glaring at one of the men, around them 30 people that were enjoying their evening as much as they were. 

"Why a bowling alley?" Steve asked again. 

"If I were wager a guess," Loki looked at them as they walked around them, "I would say the bank behind the alley is a good target for mortals with their greed for money."

"Hey it wasn't so-"

"Silence," said one of the men as they sat up equipment around the bar area. 

They were quiet a but and then the man looked up at them. "Avengers?" he questioned. Then four other hostages were taken, Tony being one of them as he didn't have his suit. Loki turned green angry eyes on the man. "Any of you move and they all get a bullet in the head."

"Can I protest here? I dont much care for -" the gun hand raised and Loki glared at the man behind Anthony. 

"I would advise you not hurt a hair on his head, or your death will be your last wish," Loki nearly purred the threat and the hand lowered again slowly just to have the gun there. Loki rolled his eyes before the lights of the police showed up. Thor moved closer to him.

"Can you get the civilians out?" he whispered just a breath. Loki took in the number and then to Tony and nodded his head once. "How drained will you be?"

"Very."

"You have a plan?" Thor asked, and Loki's lips became a thin line. He then grinned at the men at the bar. 

"Curious curious, the police have caught on," Loki said like a predator. Took a step there was a click and Loki raised his hands. "God of questionable standing, perhaps I can be of assistance?" Steven frowned at him, he could feel it on the back of his head. "Really not the most structurally sound of buildings, and too many exits to count." 

"What makes you think we don't have that covered?"

Loki grinned like the Cheshire cat. "Well if you don't need the assistance of the God of Chaos, then by all means, try your luck," he said and he was weaving his spells as he spoke. Leaving illusions in place of the people. The first ones to go were the ones in danger. He shot Anthony a look before the illusion on the man took the place of the real Tony. Now that they were out of harms way, now for the mass. 

The man looked at him and pointed his own gun at Loki. The man fired as the people vanished. 

"Bro-"

"Lok-" 

They were gone and the bullet struck Loki in the shoulder. He saw them outside the bowling alley with the others. He never cared for rules, but then again, his mortal clothes vanished to make way for the Asgardian leathers he was known for. 

The man smirked as he saw the sweat appear on Loki. As powerful as he was, that many teleportation really did take its tole on his magics. He was standing though and quite proudly. The bullet in his shoulder appeared in his hand, and his skin and clothing knit back together quite quickly. 

"We know your oath Loki," said the man. "You can't hurt us."

"Are you not threatening my life?" Loki asked. 

"You're life is not in danger," he said and sat the gun back down motioned to the others. 

Loki looked at him eyes narrowed. 

"We were hoping you would do that actually," the man said and Loki swayed slightly. "The Seat was vice nice in giving this us," he said and turned the lap top around. There were three darkened figures. 

"Enjoying that magic field Mister Stark?" said one of the shadows. Loki hardened his eyes at them. "Don't give us that look. It was hard planning this, we were wondering how much of a code you would have kept. Not that we care if you break the rules a little Mister Stark, we encourage it."

"I am sure you do, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Loki spoke, his normally calm voice laced with slight fatigue. 

"Please Mister Stark, if you don't want your magical signature out there for various crimes, you will comply with us."

"You should know threatening me is never a good idea madam," Loki replied and his eyes sharpened. 

"Its not so much a threat as it is a suggestion Mister Stark."

Loki placed a hand on his hip and leaned most of his weight on one foot as he looked at the monitors and then to the people around him. "So, pray tell what do you want?"

"Your corporation," the woman said. 

"There are better ways at getting that than this measure you have taken."

"You have access to all files and data at Stark Industries and Shield, I believe I came to the right person Mister Stark," the computer speaker replied. One of the men walked over to Loki and handed him a phone. He took it and looked at it. "That is the list that is needed from you. Keep the phone on you at all times Mister Stark, and tell no one of our understanding."

"If I refuse?"

"We will tear you down Mister Stark, and your reputation already speaks for itself. No more Avengers, no more marriage, no more Shield, you will be sent off to a nice little magic proof pris-" 

The people around him dropped to the ground as he still looked at the phone. 

"They aren't harmed, just sleeping don't concern yourself," said Loki and looked up from the phone. 

"Magic didn't spike," she said. 

"It wouldn't, I am very good at what I do Madam," Loki said and then lowered the phone looking at the screen. "You have an impressive list," he said. He had left two guys awake, the main tech and the one giving the orders to everyone else. "You failed however. Had you gotten one of the others, perhaps Pepper even, they might have complied. However you went directly for me. Never a good choice, and honestly," he smirked, "I have bigger things to concern myself with than you currently. You ruined a perfectly nice evening among friends and family to try and get me to give you secrets I have no intention of spilling," Loki sighed. "You could at least had made it interesting. No, gave me all the details, all the information what you were looking for, and even after I knocked out all of your lackeys you are still connected to the line." The god gave the screen a glare. "Really is this not common sense anymore?"

"If I recall from your invasion eight years ago you gave everything away then too," she said. 

"The difference between you and me," Loki said. "Is our level of skill. I'll see you soon."

"I doubt that."

Loki smirked and then walked over to the computer and closed it before looking at the last two people, both were staring at him. "Sleep." he growled and they crumpled to the floor. Took the bag magiced out his groups phones and held them as he walked out. The Avengers were standing there with the police, still in their civilian clothing. 

Pepper ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He gave her a pat and then was met with other arms, and he looked to Rogue. "There are two inside, I marked them," he said to Rogue, who nodded her head. "Be warned, once can feel abilities, magic and such," he said to her. Pepper looked at the woman and blinked slowly. "They are all asleep." 

"Who is that?" Pepper asked as Rogue walked into the building with Gambit, a shorter man, and Scott. 

"Rogue? She's a friend," Loki answered and handed Pepper her phone. The others came up to him then. 

"Babe," Tony said and looked at him and circled him. Loki handed everyone of them their phones back. 

"Brother you did not teleport out with us," Thor said. 

"No," Loki agreed and looked at him. Thor knew better than to point out any weakness. Teleporting that many times, in the short duration, and then that many people, had made him too dizzy to port himself without danger. Thor simply stopped and nodded his head. Loki looked to Tony. "Tell me you have Jarvis hack into the building's security feeds."

Tony looked up at him in confusion. Loki took that as a no. Then his phone vibrated and Loki looked at it.  _Don't worry sir, I did._ Said the message. 

"Thank you," Loki said and then looked at his phone. "I will require several things, if you are willing."

Tony looked at Loki's phone and then to the others as they looked at their own. Loki ignored Steven's pale face. 

"Of course sir," said Jarvis. 

"I did you also happen to run a trace on that lovely video call?" 

"I did sir, but you will not like the answer."

"Then keep it for a private meeting then, also I accessed the call channel in the complex with a new phone that was given to me, please run a data scan of it, and save to my personal server."

"Yes sir."

"Thank you Jarvis."

"My pleasure, and I might add, I am pleased that you and Mister Stark are well and safe."

"I am too," Loki said and put the phone back into his pocket. 

"When... how... what?" Tony asked. 

Loki just hummed and smiled as he looked at the criminals being dragged out, a few still sleeping. Two being carried by the X-men. Loki nodded to Cyclops and Rogue before they headed off on their own. Thor watched them as did Steven. 

"Who are they?" Steven asked. 

"Friends of mine," Loki said. "Don't worry Steven they aren't replacing you." Loki gave him a knowing smirk. "Well, I say, I have work to do, and we'll have a small meeting tomorrow morning in the complex. Miss Potts do you need guards or wish to stay at the complex?" 

"You rarely invite me there," Pepper said with a smile. 

"Because you are always welcome. I just wish to know where I am sending everyone," Loki said. 

"Do not strain yourself more Brother, Natasha and I will walk back," Thor said. 

Loki didn't fight it. 

"Happy drove us, and he's on the way to pick us up, Steve and I will be fine." Pepper said and walked back to the man who nodded and looked at Loki as if he was confused with him. 

"What is wrong Steven, afraid I will take betrayal to heart and disown you and the others with a flick of my wrist?" he asked looking at him as he adjusted his weight to one foot. "I expected it, I expected more of it. I also expected more than one time to get me thrown out, not that it would work, but still expected it. The more you think and plot the more I like Steven, keep that in mind and try harder next time. You have too many tells."

"You are confusing," Steve said. "You want betrayal from your own team."

"Less so, I want the thinking and plotting," Loki said. 

"Why?" Natasha asked. 

Loki looked from her to Steven and then smiled. "Because the more he plots and thinks, the more he will be able to see it in others when its his time to lead the Avengers and he will know what to look for. Mind that wont be for many, many years, but still I want him prepared."

"So your conditioning him," Natasha asked. 

"In a sense, I do have a life planned outside the Avengers, I am an Arch Mage of Alfheim, and I can sit in relaxed magical study there. Or I can go and be an adviser for one of my half-brothers in Jotunheim, or I can just adventure around the universe without a care in any of the worlds."

"What about Asgard?" Thor asked. 

"What about it Thor?"

"I will be king, will you not advise me?"

"Last I checked I am still undesired by anyone and everyone in Asgard, so no Thor, I will not go to a place that has no desire for my company," he said and watched his brother get sad. The air just deflating from him. 

"But..." Loki lifted an eyebrow at him, and Thor didn't continue. Loki watched as he wrapped a hand around Natasha's waist. "We'll meet you tomorrow brother."

"Tomorrow brother," Loki affirmed before they started to walk off. 

"Loki-" Steve looked at him and Loki waved him off. 

"Trust me when I say this Steven, it doesn't hurt anymore, and hasn't for a long time."

"That's," there was a long moment where Steve looked at Loki. "Sad... really sad."

Loki lifted a brow at them. "Tomorrow morning then," Loki said and turned to leave with Anthony who was watching them all in silence. Loki smiled at him. "So strange hearing you be quiet."

"It happens, mostly when I am working or concerned about something," Tony answered as they walked to the car and got inside it. The drive was short and silent. Loki considered leaving again for the complex. However when they pulled into the underground garage Anthony turned to look at him. "Coming up stairs?" And without missing a beat Loki nodded. 

The elevator ride was also awkward and silent. Pressing his lips together he thought that this was a bad idea. Inside the penthouse they walked towards the kitchen and Loki started the coffee pot and took out his phone and the other one the mystery woman gave him. 

Tony walked in and leaned against the counter and watched Loki look through the fridge. "Jarvis, the penthouse needs to be restocked," Loki said and pulled out junk that was likely left too long. 

"As you wish sir, would you like me to order anything for dinner tonight?" 

"Please do," Loki said. 

"Very well sir," Jarvis replied. 

Loki finished his task and washed his hands before turning and looking at Anthony. "You glare any more and I may catch fire darling," he remarked. 

"That would be one way to make you hotter, but not intended. I was thinking about what you said to Cap, Steve, about the whole betrayal thing, and I know I can't remember much, and its hard to still picture this as a real thing and not just some fucked up dream, and I am not even sure if I.." Loki placed a finger on Anthony's lips. 

"You're rambling love, which means your nervous," he said and then leaned back against the counter across from Tony. His hips angled so the rested easily. "As much as I love wordplay, I think it for the best we not try it right now."

"Yeah, okay, we've been married a while, and I was... I mean have... did I."

Loki took a mug from the cabinet and sat it down and took the coffee and poured it into the cup before handing it to Anthony he leaned forward and placed a kiss on the inventor's cheek. "Yes," Loki whispered. Before walking away. "It doesn't matter however, they were forgiven and we moved on. Perhaps I should stay in the complex for a while?" It was a question. Loki changed into more comfortable clothes and walked back out. 

"How can you forgive and expect it so much?" Tony asked, he hadn't even taken a drink of the coffee yet, when Loki came back to the kitchen. The trickster just watched him. 

Loki sighed. "I am finished being jealous, angry, and hurt over something I have no control over, those emotions mixed with my magic is not pleasant and I would rather just expect everyone to betray me or someone else all the time than put any real hope into something. Most of the friendships I have are paper thin and fickle at best," he explained. 

"So our marriage..."

"More of a convenience of Oath and loyalty to that of Midgard," he replied, he leaned against the counter and spoke as if it was a lecture of the human biology. He met Anthony's eyes and held them. 

"Get out." Anthony said, cold, harsh to the point, Loki vanished. 

Loki placed his head against the wall in the office and slid down to the floor, bringing his knees to his chest and placing his head in his arms. 

"Sir, was it wise to lie to mister Stark like that?" Jarvis asked. 

"Better to lie and spare his feelings than to tell the truth and see his hurt Jarvis. I am a lie-smith after all," he breathed. He sat like that for a few minutes before he got up to get to work. He had a mysterious woman, that he was pretty sure he knew already given the list, and then the strange Cyborg people creators to deal with. His emotional state and his relationship can wait until these two weren't a threat. 


	14. Both: Change

He hadn't slept more than an hour when his phone beeped and he looked at it. Another message from Anthony. He sat the phone down on the desk again and closed his eyes. Anthony had sent him 25 messages in the past 6 hours or so. He had yet to read any of them. He wasn't sure he trusted what would be in the messages. The meeting would be soon anyway, he just needed a little more sleep, just 20 more minutes or so, before he dealt with the day. He didn't get it as the phone beeped again, he looked at the thing on his desk and thought about tossing it into the trash can. He drummed his fingers on the desk giving up sleeping, he steps out of his office, leaving the phone. He's there at the table and pulls up everything he and Jarvis dug up about the event of yesterday. Folders at every seat, waiting for the owners to show up and the work begin. 

Just as clock work, Steven, Clint and Natasha all walk in at nearly the same time. They take their seats and look at him. Thor, Bruce and Hank are next. Loki waited and after ten minutes of listening to them chatter calmly about what happened the night before Anthony walked in and sat down in the remaining chair. 

Loki stood there. 

"There are glaring issues that must be resolved now," he said, cold, detached. He watched as most of the people at the table looked at each other. Anthony didn't even glance up. "Who ever is leaking more information than needed to Shield, will suffer my wrath, and bare in mind, my oath prevents me from harming mortals, which everyone at this table is not," information, to the point and now everyone was looking around the table. "I can deal with betrayal for going behind my back to remove me from where I stand. I can deal with betrayal of a traitorous tongue, and I can deal with betrayal from family. However," he said and then the list of things that were on the phone popped up before each of them. "I will not stand for this betrayal. You are all a team, and I expect each of you to have each other's back and working on planning and plotting together, not at each other. Do I make this perfectly clear?" he asked. 

"And how much of that is truth?" Anthony snapped. 

Loki ignored the comment. "This is Madam Lafue, she was the one that contacted me yesterday and sent in all those would be criminals to get a message. A list of demands, and their price for non compliance, you, every single one of you. Something I refuse -"

"How do we know you haven't given them information?" Anthony asked. "No one was in there yesterday but you."

"Tony," Natasha hissed. 

Thor narrowed his eyes at the man. 

"Is my oath being called into question?" Loki asked. 

"No, just your character, you know the whole lie-smith tag line, its hard to know when you tell the truth," Anthony called out. "Am I the only one that sees this? Surely not, I know. And by the way, you really need to check your messages. I called on a couple of divorce lawyers."

"Tony!" several voices called out at once. 

"You cannot mean that Stark." Thor said. 

"Oh I do. If the marriage is nothing but a convenience I don't need it," Anthony said. Loki was looking at him, his face a mask that he had worn for so long, several years ago. It settled like an old skin, and his eyes darkened from their brilliant bright green to dark green intent on hiding his plans and plots. 

"Tony you can't do that," Steven said almost pleading. 

"Why not? Because it will break this silly Oath that is going on? Yeah, Pep told me all about it last night," Anthony said. Loki remained silent, standing straight at Anthony. Anthony's phone beeped and then he sent the documents to Loki's side. "Sign it, and let me free of your convenience."

Loki looked at the document reading over it. It would retract the Oath, retract everything. His chest hurt, betrayal? No, a shatter like a crystal glass upon the tiled floor. Shattered into dust. Non-repairable. The heart that had been offered in order to protect the other's own, cracked and there was nothing left. He heard a chair move, large feet, thunderous, Thor. As he finished writing his name. What was expected of him now? Be compliant? Taken to a dungeon? No. He would vanish from them. Completely. 

Unseeing eyes looked at his signature. Blinked once, wet rolled down his face. Then, he vanished, and everything that was him, vanished with him. There was nothing left, not a babble, or bit of clothing, scent even gone. And in the pictures, he even vanished from them slowly.

Only the memories remained, and he knew who could change that. 

* * *

 

Tony:

"Jarvis?" he asked still sitting down, still a bit surprised that the man would  _run._

"Gone sir, everything."

"Everything?" Tony asked confused. 

"We will not find him if he wishes not to be found Stark," Thor said. 

"What about the phone?" Tony inquired. 

"In his office sir." Tony stood up and got it and started to shift through it. The contact list was small, the avengers and Pepper. Their were photos, taken secretly, Tony sleeping or working, or standing in the kitchen half-asleep with a cup of coffee. Then a video, he sat in the chair and played it. 

Tony was sleeping in a hotel bed and Loki was beside him propped up on an arm. It was the newest thing in the phone, taken two weeks before the week long coma.

_"Beautiful isn't he?" Loki said, "well, handsome more or less."_

Tony watched himself scrunch his face.

_"What are you doing?"_ He heard himself ask.

_"Making a video, its all the new rave isn't it?" Loki was playful. "Rainy morning, press conference in several hours and a bored god of mischief, what could go wrong?"_

Tony heard himself chuckle.

_"Go back to sleep Loki."_

He watched as he fell back asleep as Loki looked at him and then he watched as Loki moved a bit of hair behind his ear.

_"You hold more than my hand, Anthony, you hold the rest of my heart, careful with it my love for it's already broken and mended carelessly."_

Lies. Tony thought as he finished watching the video. He tossed the phone down on the table and leaned back. He looked at the computer and then shifted though files. Nothing that the avengers didn't already know, judging from all the mission debriefs in the files with them. Nothing hidden, everything shown, and in the open. It was almost like Loki didn't keep secrets. He looked at the wall and the photos, he knew that several of then had a smiling Loki in them, but they were gone, not the pictures, just Loki in them, as if he was being erased. He looked back to the phone and the video, Loki wasn't in it any more, the video made no sense. He looked at his phone and saw Loki's number and contact were also gone. 

This was proof it was all lies. Everything, and it pissed Tony off. 

He walked out into the meeting room again, everyone was talking softly and then they looked at him, Tony pointed to Thor. "I am going to kill your brother next I see him." What Tony wasn't expecting was Thor's face of confusion. 

"Friend Stark, I am confused. Why bring him up so?" Thor wondered. 

Tony looked at him. "He was just here," Tony reminded. "He just signed," he went and looked for the divorce papers. There were none to be found. 

"Tony are you okay?" Steve asked concerned. "Perhaps that knock on the head that put you into a coma did more to you than thought."

"No I... I.. I remember him here."

"Why would a villain be here?" Clint said. 

"That is by brother-"

"Still a world conquering asshole," Clint reminded. 

Tony stood there. "What? Where is he?"

"We don't know," Natasha said. 

Tony backed away. "Keep saving the world guys, I will, I am going to rest, at home." 

The group nodded to him and kept talking among themselves. Tony drove to the air port, he wanted to go home to Malibu and forget. The flight was restless and being in his home didn't make him feel any better. He remembered videos of Loki and him here from Jarvis. He remembers them! He just watched them, last night! He walks into the bedroom and looks for anything, any little sign that Loki was at one point there. Magic... his stuff, his inventions! He goes down stairs to the workshop and searches, there is nothing there that would say magic, not a rune, device or file, no books of etchings, nothing. Its all just... gone. 

_"He loves you."_

_"You hold the rest of my heart."_

_"Convenience."_

_"Finished being hurt over something I can't control."_

What is the lie?

Days pass and the more time that passes the more he remembers, and the more he feels like a jackass, and then there are days where he forgets he remembers until he touches something. 

He went back to the tower two weeks later and just wondered around, looking at everything. Everything in its place, nothing special. The bookcase with books he remembers being against the wall is gone. Little things that screamed 'I am Loki and I live here.' are also gone. Babbles mostly, little bits to fill the rooms. Plants, stones with runes carved into them, paintings of places they have been. No one remembers him being here, or Loki in general. 

"Sir, Captain Rogers is on the line," Jarvis said. Tony made a motion with his hand. 

"Suit up. Loki was spotted," Steve said and that got Tony awake. 

"Where?"

"Arms depot, outskirts of the city," Steve said. 

Tony didn't question he suited up as quickly as he could and was gone. 

He arrived with Thor beside him, and Tony landed and the face plate flipped up. "Loki?" Tony asked. He watched as the man in green, black and gold, stiffened and turned to look at them over his shoulder. "Loki, you look tired." Tony noticed that it was true, there were dark circles under the god's eyes, his features a bit more hallow. Loki didn't reply, just waited for the people that worked at the depot to leave the area. Calmly, he stood there. 

"Brother what is the meaning of this madness. What magics have you cast on Stark?" Loki didn't reply. Tony walked closer. "Stark no." Thor tried to get closer but was blocked now by a barrier shield. 

The rest of the avengers arrived, but unable to do anything at the moment while Thor pounded on the barrier with his hammer. Loki opened his arms and looked at Tony, around the chaos. 

"I am what you feared I was, does this not make you happy _Stark_?" Loki said and lowered his hands, Tony's name was poison on the trickster's tongue. "One more villain to add to the growing number, but now my plots and plans against you. Tell me how delighted that makes you."

"Loki stop, this isn't you," Tony said softly. "This isn't what you are, were."

"No..." Loki agrees. "It's what you made me. And that sickens me," he turned to Tony and walked up to him calmly. Tony almost smiled at him if it wasn't for the blast of magical energy that sent him flying towards the building. He could hear the other avengers on the other side. But as soon as one barrier was down another took its place in a breath of a second. Loki was a master of magic. "It sickens me that I allowed you to. I allowed you to get close, and I allowed you to damage." Loki was stalking towards him as Tony got up from the rubble. "And you have the audacity to pretend to be hurt and suffering. You did this Stark."

"You lied to me! For how long?"

"Once!" Loki yelled sending another blast of magical energy at him and throwing Tony in the Iron Man suit farther back. "To spare your feelings of hurt because you were confused. I only ever lied to you ONCE!" The anger in Loki's voice was like molten iron being poured out. Hot and glowing. 

"How can I believe that? You are the god of lies!"

Tony watched as the anger vanished, and what took its place was coldness, distance and pain. The emotions swirling in those dark green depth, so much more beautiful when happy and joyous, and better yet, the openness of them when Tony remembered them in pure pleasure. None of that was here. 

Loki opened his arms the avengers behind him still trying to get to them past the barrier. 

"You win," the voice he uses is dead, empty. "Trust nothing then. Believe every word I say is a lie, every moment unyielding unsatisfactory, every breath venom against your ears. When you do, ask yourself, what is left?" Loki lowered his hands to his side. He walked, stalked closer to Tony and he lowered the face plate ready for a fight. But Loki and magic he just crushed him down into the floor super hard where it broke into an under ground bunker. When he got back up Loki was gone and the others ran over to Tony. 

More golems, unpowered, and freshly made, too close to home for any of their comforts. Tony thought it was a horrible way to end a conversation on Loki's part, but then again. Can anything be true with what he said. 

Sitting in the avenger's compound was rough. Steve took the head of the team position. Not like they remembered Loki being there in the first place and when he tried to bring it up to them they laughed and threw the idea out the window. Tony kept playing the video and looking through the photos on Loki's phone. He swiveled back and forth in the chair, half-listening to Steve. He needed to solve this puzzle to go back to normal. But... 

What was normal now?

His memories are coming back as the other's are fading, there were times where they remembered the essence of Loki around them, but never the name or face. 

 

 


	15. Both: Fading

Loki:

That had used more magic than he cared to admit, taking himself and the items away from everywhere he touched. Anything that was him, he took. He would allow them none of it. They didn't even press hard against Anth- Stark... Stark, distance himself, Anthony was something he used in the past. Once everything was in the warehouse he walked though it all. Touching things, and remembering what they are and how he ad got them. 

_"You need that?" Tony asked._

_"Yes, for a spell, protection," Loki said as he looked over the different stones._

_"Not just decorations?"_

_"Nothing I do is just decorations my darling, everything has a meaning and purpose."_

_"I like it when you're the voice of reason," Tony replied and leaned over to kiss. Loki's smile was heaven and he closed his eyes._

_"I am mischief, what makes you think I am reason?" the breath was light against Tony's lips._

That was the day he gone the various stones he inscribed with runes and infused with magic to place around their space. He waved his hand and they all cracked like a spider web and crumbled. No point in keeping any of this stuff. The older tomes he made vanish to a safe place. His hands traveled over all the clothes and as he walked they caught flame. It was nice, having his full magics at his disposal again. 

He stood in the fire in the warehouse and watched everything burn. Orange and green flame danced around everything, until it was ash. 

"How shall I torment you Stark... I still need to rid your friends and everyone's memory of me... including Thor. How far shall I go hmm? Shall I rid myself completely from his memory and not be the brother as I am not? That sounds wicked, devious and oh so maddening. I cared too much, and I should know what that betrayal feels like, I never expected it from you, and yet," he curled around himself, hands on his chest. "No matter how hurt, or that there aren't even pieces left to place back together, my heart still yearns for you, my love. You can no longer have it, for you cannot treat it right, no one can it seems."

He stayed until the fires died and the ash blew everything in the wind. Then he stood back straight and he vanished. 

The first thing he did when he appeared in the kitchen of the two was look at them, and then a knife sank into one of the guards and another went into the hand of the albino. 

"You are going to do something for me," Loki hissed low and pointed another dagger at the girl. "You get to live this day, if you erase me from every mortal memory, and Thor's. Completely, fail to do this," he twisted the knife a little more just to hear the other scream in pain. "You're death will take days, and only after you beg for it."

The unknown man looked at Loki as if he was insane. Loki's eyes burned with anger, he showed no other emotion. 

"No more games against you," said the man and looked at the dagger in his hand, literately. "Pity. Fine, everything will leave I will start with your avengers first, and work from there. It will take a while."

"Get it done," Loki pulled the dagger from the mortal's hand. Loki watched the blood pool on the counter for a moment before the albino brought his hand up. 

He stayed and watched the Malibu house from the windows of the albino's kitchen. He had been here several days, he watched the house across the way, lights come on, Stark leave and come again. Working on something in the workshop, some project or another. Loki remembers it all well. 

He stays awake while the Albino works, and he watched Stark leave his house and not return. Back to New York then. He didn't pay attention to the two owners of the house. The little girl was creepy, even for him, and the albino just indulged the child-adult. A week, maybe more he stayed here. He was tired. 

"Your wish is done lie-smith, now get out," the albino growled. Loki turned to him finally. Loki was tired, he still had things to do. 

A mad grin appeared on the trickster's face. "Thank you," the words held no thanks in them. He moved forward and watched as the albino tried to move but he was frozen in place. "The great thing about magic," Loki's low voice whispered close, deadly grace as he placed one finger on the other's chest, "it lies." He watched the albino turn pale and then tint blue. Loki could hear the blood rush around a no longer beating heart in the man's chest. "Now, I don't have a great gift for healing, but I know enough." Loki watched as the albino died there. He turned and looked at the child-adult and she tilted her head. He vanished from the house. 

Finding the bunkers with all the golems in them was hard without Jarvis, but not impossible. Strings and threads of magic woven around, searching, plucking, nothing, next. It took time, time he knew for the albino and the child-adult to do something. He was not so foolish as to think that he had killed the albino, even if he stopped the other's heart, he left the child-adult alive. He shouldn't have, it was a bad idea in hind sight. That didn't matter however, not now. 

Seeing Stark again caused both his blood to boil and his chest ache. It was a reminder, a reminder of what he had offered and once again it was carelessly handled. No more, no more. But his love looked hurt, and Loki would rely on that hurt. Stark wanted him a Liar, a monster... as his blood froze in his veins, than a liar and a monster he shall receive. 

He had work to do before he left them completely. He had to. 

Watching invisible as the people around him started to forget completely about him. They had no idea who he was, even Thor was forgetting him, and their time as children. Younger happier days, were leaving him. Loki watched as Thor stood in his rooms in the complex and just look confused, and hurt, and more confused. Loki wanted to comfort him, to rub his back and say, "hush brother, all will be well." like he use to. Now he stood, and watched as the memory of him faded. 

He watched Stark, and again his blood boiled, but he was remembering more and more of Loki. 

Loki plucked more strings in the web of magic, searching for more of those things and then lead the avengers there. They were harder to find without all resources open to him, but magic was much better at it. 

He stood by the battle field watching the avengers fight some kind of mechanical things. Everyone but Iron Man paid him no attention as he sat on one of the building's edges watching the fight almost bored. It was all brute force and no finesse. 

Iron Man landed next to him, and the face plate went up. 

"Loki..." the man breathed. It had been several weeks since the last time hasn't it? How long had Loki slept since then... a day maybe. Cold dark green eyes looked to Iron Man. "Hey, you still look tired. I have... a place or two... a bed even." Eyes narrow. Tony licked his lips. "I'm sorry."

Loki ignored him and turned his attention to the battle on the streets. Loki wasn't concerned, he could vanish if he wanted to, or he can kill Stark. Not that he would, but it was a possibility. 

"Hey look I was.. stupid... and -"

"Your companions look...." he said standing and gesturing towards the avengers. They were being pushed back, and taking more damage than really needed. "Not everything can be solved with brute force," he sneered. He turned to Tony then fully. "If you believe anything from me, that is. There is a control room in that building there, you will find your mechanics. Surely I need not tell you what to do after that," Loki said and turned away. "Also there is a bunker under this building. Again make of that what you will. I doubt you believe me anyway."

"Loki wait," Tony called and reached for him. "I'm sorry, I really am, come home, please... bring back their memories of you, you don't need to fade." 

He stood there, green, black and outlined in gold, Asgardian clothing, back to Iron Man, unafraid. He turned his face to the side. Eyeing the Man of Iron for a moment, "everything fades." 

* * *

Tony:

_"Everything fades."_

Turns out, there was a bunker under the building, and mechanics in the other one. Not that he doubted Loki, he didn't... not any more at least. Laying in the bed in the penthouse of the tower he tossed that magic ball up, watched the red shit to green before shifting back again before it reached his hand again. And the photos hes taken from Loki's phone. He tested the ball every so often. It still floats, not hitting him when he forgets to catch it. It was Tony's, it was also Loki's, well Loki had made it for Tony, and spelled it to not crush his face or chest. 

"Wow, I new you were narcissistic but this, this is new," said Pepper at his door. "They look like stalker photos or one night stands I need to start kicking out again. Though how they managed to get into your workshop, or early morning while you're still in bed is very new."

"Hey Pep, I'm an idiot."

"Judging from the photos I would ... is that ball floating? What's going on?" she asked. Tony took the ball and placed it on the bedside time he rolled out of bed and dismissed the photos. 

"I don't want to forget Pep, and I am scared I will," he said and wrapped his arms around her. 

"For get what?" she asked, very confused. 

"Loki."

"Who?"

"Thor's brother."

"Thor doesn't have a brother Tony." Her hand went to his forehead and he batted it away. 

"I'm not sick." He said and grabbed a shirt and walked out of the bedroom pulling it over his head.  _When will I start loosing the memories I am just getting back? Or is my punishment to remember?_ Tony rubbed his hair with his hands and then his face as he walked into the kitchen. Pepper followed him and looked at her tablet.

"Good, we have the Avenger Charity Auction tonight," she said. 

"Great, what's being auctioned?" he asked into his mug of coffee. 

She looked up at him and lifted her brow confused. "The Avengers."

"What?" Tony almost choked on the coffee and he sat the cup down. 

"The winners of the auctions will one their avenger for a whole day, mainly its a public relations stunt. Nothing bad, and the avengers can say no to anything that their bidder wants," she said, "its a good idea, I am not sure which one of you came up with it." She said and looked over her notes. "Your suit will be here in an hour."

"Shouldn't I be going as Iron Man?" he asked. 

"You are, kind of," she responded, "The suit is in the colors of Iron Man, down to where the gold and metal shine though. They all look very lovely." She handed him the tablet and a pen. "Sign consent."

He took it and signed. "How is Thor?"

"He's well as far as I know, he's at the complex, I was just there getting the others to sigh. Happy will be here in a couple of hours, and there are three someones down stairs to see you, Jane Foster and her husband Jorhir or something and Rogue," she said and then he clasped her on her arms. "Didn't know you -"

He looked at her and clasped her on her shoulders. "Here? Now?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Jarvis send them up," Tony said. 

Pepper took a step back. "Wow you're excited." She said and he nodded his head. They didn't have to wait long and when the elevator doors open both Jane and Rogue stormed over to him. Jane was the first to act and her hand landed across Tony's face. 

"Wow the girl gots an arm," Rogue said in her southern accent. Pepper took a step back and looked at Tony and then to Jane as the man walked in slowly looking around. 

"Okay, I deserved that," Tony said rubbing his cheek. "Marrying an elf give you extra strength?"

"No, smacking Thor's face gave me extra strength," Jane said. "How stupid are you Tony Stark."

"Excuse me," Pepper cut in. The man with pointed ears, and long dark hair walked up to Pepper and placed both hands on her shoulder. 

"Just let the man suffer the lioness," he spoke gently and then moved Pepper towards the sitting area. 

"Define stupid," he said.

Rogue was giving him a look. "Loki," she said. 

"Oh thank god someone remembers," Tony said. "Come on, lets go somewhere private."

"Tony no!" Pepper called. 

"Worry not Lady Potts, I trust my wife not to overly harm the man," Jorhir said calmly. 

Tony lead them to one of the office areas and Rogue took a position to lean against the desk. 

"What the hell happened? No one on Midgard is remembering Loki including his brother, he comes to Alfheim quiet and distant, he wont even talk about you."

"Yeah we had a fight," Tony said. 

"Some fight hon," Rogue said. "He came by the mansion and told us goodbye."

"Mansion" Jane looked at her and then back to Tony. "What did you do?"

"The thing," Tony said. "What do you mean goodbye, the last time he said that was when he fell or Thor though he dead."

"Yeah, he's been staying in Alfheim for now, took up residence in the Arch-Mage's quarter," Jane said and folded her arms. "Really you upset him something horrid."

"Yeah and he won't really say much to me either," he said. 

"You'll be gettin your chance at the auction hon, he told me that he was going to bid on you," Rogue said. "So make tomorrow count. His words, not mine."

Tony nodded his head. "Okay, yeah, okay, I can explain things, and stuff, and hopefully he wont be so pissed at him."

"Better hope so, he's a better ally than an enemy," Jane said. "I remember New York, and I remember the dark elves, and traveling the realms. Not fun. But I also know he's not a terrible guy," she said. "Evil, on occasion when not pleased with his current surroundings."

"Is he now?"

"Less so now," Jane said and shook her head. "He's driving the other mages nuts. Telling them their are doing their magic wrong. Which makes them angry, which means they come to me and my husband, and complain, and if we go to Loki with it he makes their angrier. So FIX IT."

 


	16. Loki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the wonderful comments. Its lovely.

Loki sat at one of the tables as the Avengers walk around the room, dressed in suits that matched their color schemes or dress in the case of Natasha, each with their symbol or mark on them. Loki had spent months on this event, getting the people to see the Avengers, seeing them among the people, and most would be helping in charity or other such places tomorrow. Taken to a hotel room for the night, no sex of course, unless they wanted to, it was up to the Avengers. The Avengers were going to set up safe houses and build safe playgrounds and labs for the children, that is what this was about. Giving back to the people and to show that the Avengers were more than glorified wrecking balls through out the city. 

Fingers wrapped around the glass of wine as he leaned back and crossed his legs. Even Thor looked decent in the suit. It didn't take long for Stark to spot him. He was after all in gold and green and black, a suit tailored to him out of magic. He took a sip of his wine as Stark walked to his table. Loki said nothing as he sat down across from him. The mans red and gold suit looked wonderful on him, designed to look like the metal suit in cotton, wool and silk. Loki said nothing to him as he took another sip of his wine. 

After a few moments Loki looked to a watch on his wrist. "Go mingle Stark."

"Whats-"

Loki glared at him. "Think like that and I wont be kind enough to give you this chance Stark. So," Loki leaned forward. "Go mingle." Loki leaned back and took another sip of his wine. He watched as Pepper walked over to Anthony and spoke to him while vaguely gesturing towards him. Then Pepper looked at him, he lifted a brow, but did nothing else. He watched Rogers walk around with a smile on his face and nodding his head to people, and saying things, likely heroic. Barton is slower on the uptake, he's not shy, but he isn't comfortable. Banner is stalking science with a couple of men and women, good for him. Natasha is dancing with one of the wealthier men in the room, she's a good agent with the sly and shy smile on her face. Thor is... Thor, loud, charming, and as expected surrounded by women. Hank is... hank, more reserved in this situation. Sam is smiling but is looking for a way out, no doubt his military mind is trying to cover all the exits. Stark is... finally being his charming and playboy self. 

Loki watches, and he gives polite conversation to any that wonder over to his table. Rogers was first, and being the polite man that he is, asks before he sits down. 

"Some party," Rogers says trying to strike conversations. 

"Auction, but yes, a bit rich for what I am use to," Loki replies easily, and its not a lie. Asgard's celebrations weren't anything like this. They were loud with lots of meats and lots of ale. 

"So, why are you here?" he asked. "If you don't like it."

"It's a Charity event Captain Rogers, are you saying I should leave?" he question, poking. 

"No, no. Just don't want you to be uncomfortable," the man replied. 

"Ah, so I was giving you a mockery," Loki looked at him as he sipped his wine. He watched as Rogers' face scrunched with thinking. "In this case Captain I am using mockery in the form of a misrepresentation. Unless you find me laughable?" There was amusement dancing in his green eyes as he watched the poor man try not to insult him. "I am not insulted easily Captain. Ferret not."

"Thank you, I was getting stuck."

"You were. As I understand you are the team leader of the Avengers, is this true?" Loki asked. He knew it was, and at Steve's nod Loki continued. "I would expect a leader of any time not to worry so much about insulting one man, so many people are insulted over looks. You would be constantly dragging your feet into the mud, always stuck."

"Thank you for the... that is actually good advice. Its been hard lately, it seemed so much easier a month or so ago."

_That is because I haven't taught you everything you needed to be the perfect leader Captain. I left you to the wolves so to speak, too early._

"Hardships are worth it if you learn and understand from them. You'll get better." 

"Thank you..."

"Lie-smith," Loki introduced himself. 

"Odd name," Rogers said. 

"More of a title bestowed upon me without my choosing. Time for you to go mingle."

"Ah, yeah. It was a good talk."

Loki bowed his head to him when he got up and left. Loki looked at his phone when Natasha came over to sit down. He looked up at her and gave her a faint smile. 

"Ah first the Man of Iron, then the Captain and now the Widow, I must be popular," Loki said and sat his drink down on the table and returned the phone to his pocket. 

"Less popular now," she said with a smile. "How did you do it."

"Ah, and there is the detail that I had missed, cleaver, I had thought to mention Thor, but forgot to mention his wife," he said not hiding it. 

"Did you or was it your plan?"

Loki looked at her. "You weren't always so cleaver," Loki replied and laced his fingers together. 

"What is the plan then," she leaned forward on the table, her lips pressed against each other. 

"For me to disappear," Loki said. 

She looked taken aback. "What?" she asked, "what about, about everything here?"

Loki tilted his head to the side slightly and his eyes narrowed. "What is left for me here, a man that did not care, a team that plotted betrayal, a brother that only saw his way of things, still being labeled a liar and I have spoke no lies to any of you. Told repeatedly that the marriage I held and the one I actually cared about was nothing more than a convenience. I expect plotting, and I expect betrayal, I truly see the worst in everything, but that is who I am. The pain is numbed after a couple of thousand years Widow. So what I did was finally accepted that it was as it was, the one lie I spoke because I didn't want to believe it, and yes, this is where it ended up," he said. "The Oath broken, I am no longer tied to helping Midgard or the mortal race."

"You could have tried-"

"I was the  _only_ one trying," he snapped and watched her back away from him. He settled again and waved it off. "I will give him the chance tonight and tomorrow," he said. "It will be the last one." She nodded, and she needed to talk with Tony. "Go mingle." Loki watched as she went right to Tony who was talking to a group of women and whispered in his ear. He had a feeling of what it was. He ignored it. 

The Hawk was next to come to the table. Popular indeed. He watched the man sit down and Loki took out his phone and looked at it for a moment before placing it back into his pocket.

"Silent auction status?" the Hawk asked. Loki hummed lightly in agreement. Barton smiled and then leaned his hands on the table. "How is Thor doing?"

"Curious of another and not yourself? Or are you trying to see if I would break the rules and then tell you how you are doing? Or better yet, the group decided they would band together and ask over each other?" he question Barton, the man blinked at him. Loki's lip twitched up. "Ah, the second one then. Shame."

Barton was speechless for a moment and then laughed. "You're not like the others."

"Not in the least," Loki replied with the tilt of his head. 

"Yeah, I'm going to go now," Barton said and dashed off. Loki took his phone out and kept an eye on the bids and the auction.

None of the other Avengers came to bother him as he watched and a couple of hours after a meal had been delivered. He noticed Natasha kept looking at him and talking with Stark. That didn't bother him much. He smiled, "liars lie with their whole body hmm?" he closed his eyes and listened to the Avengers being called to the stage and then gifted to those that won that avenger for tomorrow. 

The Avengers were listed, "Ninty-three mister Lie-Smith won Iron Man," Pepper said into the mic, and the room looked shocked, well accept for him, Natasha and Stark of course. He stood up and walked to the stage and pulled out his phone from his pocket and stood before Pepper as the funds were transferred over. After that was complete he looked at Stark and then walked away. He smirked when the man started following. 

"Hey..." he called, and Loki turned around and looked at him. "You have a new phone."

Loki looked at the phone in his hand, and then it started to smoke. "Not any more," he replied and then tossed the thing into a trash can as he walked. In the elevator they stood in silence, Loki's hands behind his back. Walking to the room picked out for Stark Loki opened the door and walked inside. He hadn't even bothered using the key card. Looking around he took a seat in one of the chairs and laced his fingers together. "You have three hours before I leave."

"Where will you go?" 

"Back to Alfheim," Loki answered looking to see if Stark believed him, the man simply nodded his head and poured two drinks for them. He brought them over and sat them on the table as Tony took off the suit jacket and vest. 

They sat in silence for a moment, Loki completely calm. 

"I'm sorry Loki," Tony said and looked at the table. "I am just so messed up in the head and I don't even know where to start, when you said that I was so pissed, and then memories of me saying the same thing came back and.. I'm sorry. It was stupid of me to do that. To still give you those stupid papers and take away everything." Loki tilted his head to the side and leaned over to pick up his drink, his bright green eyes watched Stark carefully. "Please don't leave us." Loki barely contained the twitch of his eye. 

"So you only want what was offered? Protection of Midgard, safely, immortality from aging and illness?" he asked Stark. 

The man looked up at him and he took a sip of the scotch. "No," Tony said. Loki narrowed his eyes at him. 

"Do not lie to me," Loki said in a hiss, the glass shattering in his hand. Loki looked at it and then stood. He waved his hand over the glass shards and spilled liquor and it vanished. There was the clatter of it in the trash can. 

"You know when someone is lying?" Tony asked watching Loki walk towards the bar and get a new drink. 

"God of Lies and Mischief," Loki opens his arms and then walks back to the chair he had gotten up from. "Yes, I know when a lie is being told. No matter if truth is laced in as sweet decorations. I know lies. So, let us try that answer again hmm?" Loki asked sitting back down and crossing his legs. 

Tony nodded. "Yes, yes the things the oath did were way more beneficial than my little discomfort, I do want you back, and back with us, and all the memories and things. And... just and."

Loki sat there and listened to Tony's rambling on how good it was to have Loki as part of their team and just over all. The talk was all over the place and just kept stating one thing, he wanted Loki because of what he did for Midgard. To use him in other words. 

They talked about other things, what Steve was doing and all the missions. Loki listened and asked questions and offered suggestions. Three hours went by really fast and Loki stood and got ready to leave. Tony grabbed his arm and looked at him. Loki leaned over and kissed him gently, his lips gliding over the other's smoothly. 

"I will miss you..." he whispered and slipped from Tony's grasp. He closed the door and looked at Natasha. "Shouldn't you be in your room?"

"What's your plan?" she asked. 

"To start again," he said gave her a bow of his head and vanished. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow... Part 1 is done! YAY! on to the second part then..


	17. Loki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2, the Start of a Beautiful Friendship

He worked and bargained, and traveled, and lied, and fought. He plotted, he planned he carried them out. He killed, and he healed, he learned and he taught. He did watched and listened. His spell to make Anthony Stark forget worked as well as that other person's mind magic did. And when the Avengers finally found them some odd 10 years prior and killed him again with the girl that never aged, and they and everyone else that the mind creature effected still had their memories stolen from him as more his blessing than a curse. It means he didn't have to magic Midgard himself. 

He had bargained with the Fae King again for the return of the mortals blessing of immortality. He had to defeat some wicked witches and creatures of the deep swamp for the aid, and that took him nearly three years alone. But the Blessing was given without the need for Loki's Oath, so it would stay. He magicked shields and runes and other such things for the Mages of Alfheim for additional spell books and secrets. Jotunheim was thawed, that took several years that he lost count, his his magics around the realm, getting the fire giants help, it was worth it. He was an honored adviser there. He moved from one place to another, never staying in one place for long. Odin came to Alfheim to talk with him on many occasions, at first they were hateful and they fought with words, however as years went by they became less so. But he always watched the Avengers on Midgard no matter where they were, or where he was or what he was doing. 

Now, 23 years after the auction of the Avengers, of when Anthony lost his memory and he was sure Natasha's would be hazy at best, now it was his time to return. Steve and Pepper had had two children, Samson and Julie. Natasha and Thor hadn't had any children yet, but they talked about it. Anthony was Iron Man, and he took to that role far more fiercely now that Pepper had children, that got him wondering what Anthony would have done if they had had children. It was a fleeting thought. 

The threat now wasn't golems, or mechanical creations, it was the elemental witches and their unholy creations. Magic. Doctor strange had stepped in to help the Avengers with the new foe. Loki watched them. He knew that the witches served one of the five towers, and the ruler of those towers would have to die before the witches would truly be dealt with. He had done research. He had learned, and studied. Magic was in his blood as the Jotun ice was and what Odin's was not. But it was all the same. 

He walked around the suite he called his own in Alfheim, making sure that all things he would need was in his small bag. Pocket dimensions, one of the spells he learned to master over the few short years. Checking everything again he walked carefully, step by step looking. He didn't want to come back here again if he could help it. 

_You care too much still. His life is moving on, yours should too._

Could he? 

_Yes._

No. He knew better than to lie to himself. He knew who he was, he knew what he was. He knew he allowed Anthony to get under his skin and worm his way into the very core of him and sit there and fester. Churning the cracked organ that gave emotion and dreams, and he had allowed the man too, be he had hoped he had been different from everyone else. Different from Thor, from the Warriors Three, different from Odin, from Sigyn, from everyone else. He hadn't been. He had stood there and watched for years as that organ cracked more, until it shattered. 

Until it left him as he is now. 

Nothing was needed, he had packed everything. So he vanished. Went to the realm of Midgard. He watched as the Avengers fought off some sort of water creation. Loki found it amusing that the Hawk tried to shoot it with arrows, and others jumped out of the way before Thor smacked his hammer down and lightening shot everywhere. He magicked up his green, black and gold leathers, he forgone the armor, it wasn't needed now. He heard.

"Damn it Thor its water!" Natasha yelled. 

"Yes," Thor replied back as if that should have explained it. 

"Hey guys! Buy guys!" said the Spider-man as he swung by. 

"Kid where you going now?" Iron Man asked. 

"After a bank thief while you're working on water goons," the kid called back before swinging away. Loki watched them, they were sadly not understanding this concept. 

"How do we defeat it Tony," called Captain. 

"Its water! we can try to make mud!" Tony yelled, and Loki's lips twitched up. "Drink it? Though that seems like a bad idea." Loki nodded at that one, that would be a bad idea. "If we had something cold enough he could freeze it," he suggested, "though that seems short term." 

"What about boiling?" Captain asked. Loki nodded his head.  _Good Captain, keep thinking._  

"Oh lets have lobster!" Tony said. "But that might work... it would have to be a flash heat. Thor's lightening could work."

"As much as I love your bickering, you have an audience," Hawk said then and Loki looked carefully with his eyes. 

"Friend or foe?" he heard Captain. 

"Not sure, he seems to just be watching, the building below mine," Hawk said. 

_Ah, the bird on her perch, perhaps he should have been invisible then._

"I got a visual," Iron man said. "Looks like he's dressed for cosplay or something. Everyone back away. Thor hit that thing with the hotest flash of lightening you have."

"Aye Man of Iron," Thor said and Loki's heart banged against his chest. Oh he missed it, and longed for the man to call out to him again. He wouldn't, but still. 

Iron man landed on the building next to him, and Loki turned to him. "This area is restricted, fight in progress." He motioned to Thor as the Asgardian smacked the hammer down and lightening shot from the sky. Instantly boiling away part of the water. 

Loki smirked. "So it would seem," he said and ignored the flash. 

Iron man nodded his head. "Yes it seems, so don't you have a fair or something to get to?" 

"Not really," Loki replied as Thor did it again. Loki looked over his shoulder, this wasn't how he really wanted to introduce himself. He looked back at the Iron man, and his smirk grew as the man stared at him. 

"Look you can't be here, its dangerous," he said. 

"Oh, I know, but I am far more dangerous than a water elemental," Loki said and watched the fight for a bit longer. "Summoned or created?"

"Huh?" 

"The water, was it summoned, appeared out of thin air, or was it created from existing water?" Loki already knew the answer but he so loved teaching too. 

"Summoned? Its kind of wet all over now thanks to that thing, but it wasn't before."

"Ah," Loki remarked carelessly, and then walked to the edge. Iron Man grabbed his arm. 

"Whoa, hey, why don't you back away from the edge, tall building and all." 

Loki tilted his head to the side and looked at the metal gauntlet that gripped him and then back to the face plate of the suit. "Release me Man of Iron."

Tony let him go and Loki could imagine that confused look on his face and in his eyes. He walked up on the ledge and then took a step off and dropped. 

"TONY!" he heard the yell from Hawkeye and then Anthony cursing. However he landed as graceful as a cat on the pavement. 

"He's okay?" Iron man said, and the other Avengers looked at him facing off against the rather large water fiend. Loki's boots gently splashed in the water as he drew nearer. 

"Hey this is a dangerous area," Captain said. Loki looked at him and noticed the wardrobe change slightly. His uniform was darker but the same expect for the helm mask was gone. 

"Yes I was informed," he said as he walked past the captain. He stopped and stood next to Thor. The thunderer watched him, a strange look on his face, he was cautious. He then looked at the elemental, he threw basketball sized balls of water at them, and Loki knew those hurt, and could leave bruises on Thor and dents in the suit of iron. So with a thought before the water splashed them, a shield was erected around him and Thor. "Well isn't that a nasty ability."

"You are a mage?" Thor asked. Loki ignored him for the moment. 

_Defensive over aggressive. Shields, healing and buffing their abilities, get them to trust me before I bring out any real spells. Support rather than an active fighting member. Captain is favoring one leg, and Thor is bleeding from the elemental's attacks. Heal them after the battle, show them I am no harm._

"You can summon more lightening?" he asked Thor instead, knowing the answer was yes. 

"Aye, but it isn't helping much," he said and looked down to his arm where Loki placed his hand on his forearm. Loki looked into Thor's blue eyes before he opened the flood gate and poured magic into Thor. Boosting his abilities as he had done so in the past. He took his hand away reluctantly, he had missed the feel of those muscles under his hand. He turned away. Not bothering to look at Thor's confused face as the magic flowed within him and around him. 

Loki walked to the captain. "Come along, lets get inside the building before Thor summons more lightening," he said and offered the help, which the man was weary of,  _good for him,_ but accepted it nonetheless. Inside, Natasha was waiting and Iron Man had joined them. Loki helped the captain sit down on the wet floor. His hands making quick work of feeling around the wounded leg. There was a gash from the elemental, nasty thing it was indeed. Loki tutted the Captain and then pulled out a bottle of water from his string bag and poured it over the wound to make sure nothing was caught inside it. Then placed his finger beside the worst bit and allowed his magic to flow. 

"What are you doing?" Captain asked. 

"Hush," Loki said as he watched the muscle and skin knit back together and then seal itself all the way across. "Not sprained, just the wound," he said and ducked his head as there was a bright and overly heated flash of lightening before a loud booming of thunder. After which there was a second and a third, before it was just rain. 

"You healed me?" Steven said. 

"I did," Loki said and stood up, taking the rest of the bottled water and putting drinking it. "No need for thanks. I'll see myself out the back," he said and turned. 

"Who are you?" Tony asked. 

"Someone that helped," he said with his back to them and closed eyes. He was gone by the time the thunderer finished and Barton arrived. He didn't stick around there, he needed an apartment. 

He kept a magical ear out for them, and they learned that summoned elementals had a duration attached to them, and created ones had heart stones as it were. So with the summoned ones, they just had to lead them to places of little to no population and hope their endurance outlasted its time. The time varied on the witch that summoned them and how close she was to the top of that tower. There were really only five other attacks since the last he showed himself two weeks ago, and from what he was getting from the complex and the tower was that he was strange, helpful, but to be weary of him. 

It was a good day and he needed to go shopping for more food it would seem as he opened the fridge. He would grab lunch while he was out, he left his apartment and locked the door, both magically and with the key before he turned and walked out of the building into the New York afternoon. He wore jeans, stylish boots, and a simple t-shirt, showing his bare forearms, his hair was back in a braid and he didn't care to cut it the past 23 years, so he didn't. The Mages of Alfheim tended to wear their hair long away.

Walking to the store he enjoyed the sun on his arms and on his head. The people were much the same now as they had been 23 years ago. Good for them. 

He picked up a basket and started down the fruits. He did enjoy the fruits of Midgard. He was careful, he was suppose to be on a 'budget' after all. One that he put himself on. So only getting a couple of fruits, which he was really sad about he walked around the store. He preferred the luxury that he had before, but this he could deal with, he had to keep up appearances after all, Steven visited this store often, he liked to do the shopping himself for him and his family. 

This was the forth time Loki had come to this store. He only seen Steven once and the man had paid him no attention. 

This time however as he looked on the back of a can of soup he felt eyes on him and a shadow fall over him. He looked up and over at Tony Stark.  _Curious._  

"I know, never expected it, well still don't I am just here with stars and stripes over there," Tony said and nodded towards Steve by the meats. "He's cooking dinner for the gang tonight." Loki lifted one delicate eyebrow at the man. "Right well I am glad I actually ran into you. You're the guy a couple of weeks back that did the thing with the water monster, all green black and gold right?" Loki looked confused and then decided to nod and put the can of soup back on the self and walk away. "Hey wait, you also healed Captain spangle over there, yeah see, you know we have an archer," Tony was talking and walking backwards to keep Loki in his view. "Well we were fighting a big rock beast, like a dog-cat thing, right, and it leaped up so high, and Bird-brain lifted his arm to block right. Well it chopped down on the archer pretty hard, okay...oof." Loki shook his head as he picked out some noodles from the self, long thin flat ones. "That's a pole, well anyway, his arm shattered, and the docs are worried that he wont be able to use his bow again, and then I remembered you and your all magic-e stuff and looked for you for four days! Four! Who knew you would be so hard to find! But anyway, you think you can come by and heal up the birdie's arm?"

Loki looked at the cans of vegetables, he preferred fresh ones, but 'budget'. 

"Why would I do that?" he asked Tony and kept on with his shopping after he pick up two cans. 

"Because I am Tony Stark... you know, and I asked you too?"

"Thanks but no." Loki said. 

"I'll pay you."

"Pay me? Like a whore?"

"Sure if its the services I get- wait no, I mean- damn it."

Loki walked away at that and he was grinning on the inside. 

"No. But I will pay you, looks like you could use the extra money, what is this anyway canned tuna?"

"Insulting my food now?" Loki asked and turned on him. "Look here billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, -"

"Genius," Tony said. Loki looked at him. "Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."

"Right, so, what does 'no' mean, mister genius." Loki turned and headed to the check out after grabbing some bread. Tony followed him. 

"A word I don't understand the meaning of unless its in bed, now. Like I said, I will pay you to help out with bird-brain," he then snapped his fingers as he took some trail mix off the shelf and opened them. "I know what if I put you on the pay roll."

"What?" Loki asked as he sat his basket on the belt. 

"Yeah you can be our live in healer, nothing dangerous if that's what you're worried about. I can even get you a room in the complex or tower, its got to be better than where you're living now, I got this," he said and pulled out his wallet. 

"No he doesn't," Loki said to the cashier who was staring at Tony Stark. 

"Yes I do, and in fact, you don't even need this, what are you a college student? Come on, I'll show you around and you can order what-" there was a loud smack in the next moment. Loki looked at Tony as he lowered his hand. Tony rubbed his face and looked at Loki. "I hope that's a yes."

Loki let out a sigh and watched as Steve walked over to them. 

"Everything okay?" he asked. 

"Yes" "No" Tony and Loki said at the same time, respectfully. 

Steve motioned to Loki. "Has he asked you for your assistance?"

"He asked, but he hasn't given me a reason why I should."

"I offered to pay him."

"He also compared me to a whore, insulted my food, and living conditions," Loki looked back at Tony, who nodded his head. 

"I offered to put him on the pay roll for in house healer services."

"It would be kind of you to take up the offer. I also understand if you don't want to and wish to be left alone. But it would be a great help for not just Clint, but the whole team as well, our doctors can only do so much. And Thor said you were trained on Alfheim at least with being able to boost an Asgardian."

"You don't even know me," Loki said, "You want me to go with you, use my powers for you because you pay me?"

"Pretty much. -"

"No. We'll get to know you over time. Friendships aren't made in a day, it takes time." Steven said. 

"Trial run," Loki said. "Couple of months, if I don't like it, I leave, no questions, no complaints."

"Thank you," Steven said. 

"You won't leave. You get to meet Jarvis. Jarvis is my AI, he runs the house, tower and complex."

"Tony you're going to over whelm him."

"What? Oh right, let's get back to the tower then," Tony paid for the food the cashier still staring as well as everyone else in the store now. "I have labs, do you do labs? I bet you like labs, or are you more of a library person, hey, I can get a library set up for you."

"Flattered I assure you, but your bribery won't work on me Mister Stark," Loki said. "I don't care about your money." 

He walked along with Steve assisting in carrying some of the bags to the car. Tony had stopped walking a bit speechless.  _Yes Anthony, someone you cannot buy, bribe or reason logically with._  

"Thank you," Steve said, "Tony can be a bit..."

"Narcissistic? Egotistical? Eccentric?" Loki asked, "take your pick Captain."

"Talking about me?" Tony asked as he stood beside them. 

Loki ignored him and got into the car. After he was seated he took out his phone and looked at it. It was snatched by Tony. 

"That's-"

"And outdated and old piece of crap, why do you have this you shouldn't have this, this is like two years old."

"Give it back," Loki said sitting there facing Tony. 

"Tony."

"I'll get him a new one, out the window-" Tony said and tossed the phone. However it hovered there and glided back into Loki's hand. 

"Disregard for other peoples things, wow the list of why I don't like you just keep growing," Loki remarked. 

"You know that's new right? People love me."

"People as in the masses maybe, but the person, me, sitting here, doesn't."  _Not a lie, I want to, I want to so badly, but I can't, not as you are. And when you do, when I finally have you, you will know._  

"Tony stop bothering him before we even reach the tower."

So the rest of the drive was in silence. 

They rode up the elevator in silence, Loki stood leaning against the wall, and when it stopped followed Steven out, who followed Tony. They walked into the kitchen. 

"Friend Stark!" Thor's voice thundered. "You brought a guest."

"Welcome home sir," Jarvis said. 

Loki paid no attention to it as he assisted Steve with getting things ready. 

"Yes, hey Bird-brain," Tony called out and Clint looked up from the couch. "I got the guy that healed Steve. Lets see what he can do for you."

Clint stood up and Natasha looked back and her eyes locked with Loki's and her expression changed slightly. He had his arm in a wrap cast with a hard splint, to get the swelling down before they put the actual cast on. Loki walked around the counter and stood there. 

"Right let me introduce you," Tony said. "The one that is in need of help is Clint, the woman there is Natasha and that one is Pepper, the kids are Samson and Julie, the big guy there is Thor, the other guy there is Bruce, you know Steve in the kitchen and I am of course Tony Stark, and everyone this is..." he trailed off and cleared his throat. 

Loki smiled at him, "twenty minutes in the store and then an additional twenty in the car ride here, and you just now realized you don't know my name?" he asked. 

"To be fair I don't remember most names," Tony said. 

"Loki," he said. "My name is Loki."

"I have heard of a mage named Loki, you're from Alfheim yes?" 

"Jotunheim," Loki answered easily. 

"You're a Jotun?"

"Is that an issue Asgardian?" Loki asked looking at Thor. There was a tense moment before Thor shook his head. 

"No, Asgard and Jotunheim are for now on good terms, you did train in Alfheim did you not?"

"I did," Loki said. 

"Couple of questions," Clint said as he sat on the stool and rested his broken arm there. "1, what is a Jotun, 2 what is an Alfheim, and 3 is this going to hurt?"

"A jotun is a frost giant, Alfheim is one of the nine realms, and it will, I will magic your nerves to receive less, but you will still feel it." Loki answered swiftly before Thor could. 

"Great, no issues then," Clint said.

Loki walked over and looked at the cast. He gently placed his hand down on it. He looked at Clint and then touched his forehead. The man froze. Thor stood up hammer in hand. 

"What are you doing?" Thor asked. 

"What I was asked," Loki replied and waved his had over the cast and it vanished. There were jagged bite marks in the flesh and his hand was crumpled and warped. Loki tutted and looked at Clint, the man blinked at him but was unable to move other wise. Everything still worked inside him, Loki smiled. "This is nasty, perhaps you shouldn't let rock monsters chew on you."

"Can you fix it?" Tony asked making a glass of scotch. 

Loki looked insulted. He placed his fingers lightly on the hand itself and Bruce got closer to watch as the bone under it started to shift and move the shin. Sweat appeared on Clint's brow. "Shhh, it's okay, I am blocking most of the pain," Loki said gently and looked back down. It took only several minutes but when he released the spell of paralysis, Clint moved and snatched Loki's face. 

The anger and pain in the man's eyes was very clear. "I did tell you it would hurt," Loki said unaffected by the hand over his face. 

"You paralyzed me," Clint growled. 

"Yes, would you rather had been thrashing about making it worse and last longer?" Loki placed his hand against Clint's wrist and moved it away from his face. "Before you start making threats, think on what you are threatening about, and who it is you are threatening," he released the wrist and backed away two steps. He watched as Clint looked at his arm and turned it over again, and flexed his fingers. Loki said nothing else to him as he watched the hand move. After a moment, "well, I best be going."

"Wait, stay for dinner, and I have to get you in the system, and get you your floor and-"

"Thank you, no," Loki said and headed towards the elevator. 

"Jarvis don't let him leave," Stark said, and Loki turned to him and lifted a brow. 

"I am a prisoner now?"

"No, no, its just you didn't get any of your college food at the store, and we're here, and we can get to know you and you us, and how are we to get a hold of you when we need you... Oh a phone! I can get you a phone, I can get him a phone right Pep? Anyway, yeah you're not leaving yet, I told you you know," Tony said and pointed at him. 

"And here I thought the list couldn't get any longer, I was wrong, have a good day, Mister Stark, Avengers, it was a pleasure seeing you, please don't need me again," he said. 

"Jarvis isn't going to let you leave." Tony said. 

"I don't fancy being being a prisoner," he said before he vanished. 

Dropping down into the couch of his apartment he smiled and looked at the phone in his hand, he tossed it to the side and then placed a hand on his stomach. Perhaps he should have stayed for dinner. 

_Oh but my plans are coming along nicely._

 


	18. Loki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love you all so much.

Loki sat behind the desk one hand on the book before him and the other picking at his cut fruit that he had made this morning for lunch. He looked up every so often scanning the library occupants. Mostly college students and other such business people that still liked the library. The tome he was reading was much older than what was in this place. It was easy work and he got to read. His magic helped him do the rest, the sorting, the cleaning the replacing of books. And it was such a small amount of magic it was like a drop of water in a lake, so he didn't mind. 

He enjoyed the slow lazy pace he had set himself to on Midgard this time. It had been nearly a week since he healed Barton's hand and arm and no one bothered him. That was until the shadow fell over him again as he stabbed half a strawberry with his fork. He let out a sigh and looked up at Tony Stark. The man took off his sunglasses and smiled at Loki. 

"You like libraries, I like libraries," he said, and had his mouth open when Loki replied:

"You don't." 

"I can get a library for you at the tower, so hey, I need you to come down, and yeah you're a little right, I like my workshop, and my mechanical toys and armor as opposed to old dusty books. But hey books are great, I encourage books. So there's that. But anyway, Green Bean and I were wanting you to come by, you know because of your magic-e stuff. Since we're against witches and element monsters we figured you could be a big help. So yeah, I come to pick you up. I can have fruit delivered at the tower, that's where we're going." He flashed Loki a smile and then put on his press smile. 

Loki plopped the strawberry into his mouth and then went back to his tome. 

Tony stood there tapping on the desk counter and looked around, the occupants of the library were staring and taking pictures with their phones. "Oh yeah," Tony said and pulled out a thin, clear rectangle object, and sat it on the open book. "That's you're new phone. Jarvis is on it too, so its voice active and can communicate with all of us." Loki took the phone and made a show of tossing it to the side, and promptly ignored it, stabbing a cube of apple next. "You are the only one I have met that doesn't give a shit about what I have you know that. So we can talk more about why you hate me at the tower."

"Mister Stark, I am working."

"Yeah already talked to your boss, and well you kinda work for me now anyway, you know that whole live at healer, kind of hard to do that when you're not actually there," Tony said. "Oh and hey don't worry about your stuff either got that handled too, it should be at the tower by now and on your personalized or soon to be personalized floor. I had a hard time figuring out what you actually liked."

Loki closed the tome, closed the fruit container and stood up. 

"You're coming great!" Tony said. "I got a ca-" Loki waved his hand and Tony was back in the common room's sitting area in the tower. He didn't know it, but several of the avengers jumped, and Tony cursed. 

"Mister Wordsmith," Jarvis said from the phone. "I am to inform you that there is a car waiting outside for you."

Loki looked at the shocked and stunned faces of the library residence and then grabbed the Jarvis phone. He walked out of the library and saw the car, knocked on the window. The man rolled down the tinted window and looked at him. "I don't need this. You can go back. I can find my way to Stark Tower." The man nodded and then drove away. 

"Shall I inform the others that you will be arriving shortly?" Jarvis asked. 

"No Jarvis," Loki replied and placed the new phone in his pocket, and slipped the tome and the fruit into his pocket dimension. He walked into a bakery and looked at the cakes. He choose a chocolate cake with cream cheese and little red lines over it.  _One vice I will never leave again. Sweets! Norns how I wish I knew about this of Midgard sooner!_ Cake gotten he appeared before the tower and walked in. He walked up to the clerk desk, last time he was here he walked in with Steve and Tony and didn't need to do this. He pulled out the Jarvis phone. "I am here for the Avengers?" he asked the woman and showed her the phone. 

She smiled and directed him towards the elevator. He didn't need it of course, but he was polite. Putting the Jarvis phone back he pulled out his own phone and started searching the social network of what happened in the library. Already there were photos of Stark leaning on the desk talking with him and he with a very unimpressed face. It hadn't even been ten minutes and the comments on how insane he was to treat Tony Stark that way was amusing. The elevator dinged, he stepped out and then ducked and moved around Thor, as his loud, "Friend Loki!" boomed. His heart... had he a heart anymore? twitched painfully, he had actually missed the oaf calling out, "Brother,"? A thought for another time. Thor however turned and looked confused. Loki walked to the kitchen counter and sat the cake down. 

Tony was grinning like a madman, Steve looked at him from cutting vegetables, and Clint gave a half smile, and Natasha actually fully smiled at him. Bruce was reading something and writing in a note book, too busy to notice. 

"What did you bring?" Tony asked. "And thanks for the teleport by the way! Totally awesome way to travel like really! So, live in healer... wow, a magical healer that can magic stuff! I feel like I am five again! So want to see your space? Its a lot better than were you were living."

"Tony," Steve warned. 

"What it is, you should have seen that apartment, we cant have an avenger living like that can we? Earth's mightiest heros! Defenders of Earth and defeater of an alien race of invaders... three times! I mean come on..."

Loki was quiet.

"Hello Loki," Steve said. "You didn't have to get us cake you know."

"Cake?" Clint asked and looked over the back of the couch. 

Loki walked into the kitchen and washed his hands. "What are you making?"

"Chicken spaghetti, wanna help?" Steve asked. 

Loki nodded, and walked over to where the Captain was and took a knife in hand and the vegetables while he went on to finish the other things. 

"See already fitting in!" Tony said with a glass of scotch. Loki looked at him and then to the clock. It wasn't even noon yet. With a thought he changed the scotch with water when Tony went to take a drink. "Not funny Harry Potter." Loki didn't respond. Thor walked back in and sat at the counter watching Loki's knife work. Tony walked back to the bar to pour himself a new glass but when he tipped the bottle nothing came out. "Stop it."

Loki leaned against the counter after he finished with the vegetables and plopped a green bell pepper sliver into his mouth. Clint laughed. "Dude that's funny. Are you going to fight Tony every step?"

"Considering he didn't actually  _ask_ me anything, just said I was going to do it, yes. I am going to make his life a living hell for a while," Loki said and gave a fool teeth grin. 

"Okay Cheshire, knock it off," Tony said. Loki walked down to him and stood before him. He was only three inches taller than Tony but the man was angry. "My Tower my rules."

Loki tutted him. "Perhaps those should have been stated before telling me I was coming here, before invading my apartment, before invading my work, and interrupting my day," he said and have an elegant shrug.

"This is better."

"According to whom?" Loki asked. 

"What?"

"Did Odin the All-Father say that this was better?" Thor looked at Loki confused, "Did Byleistr King of Jotunheim say this was better? Did Jorhir, Head Mage of Alfheim say this was better? Did I say it was better for me, or did you just take it upon yourself to assume what it is I wanted and decided it was better for me?"

Tony looked at him. "I..I.."

"Yes Mister Stark? You... you what?" Loki leaned in. "You talk, you play, there is something new and shiny and its give me give me, without thought to the other person's reactions or feelings. You want me to cast my magic so  _you_ can study it.  _You_ want me to sit in this pretty area all mechanized and far from the soil of the plant just to sit around and wait for one of you or the others get injured.  _You_ also suggested to pay me for such services in akin to that of a whore. So yes Mister Stark, this is your tower, your rules, but I am not afraid to walk away. I owe you nothing. You want my cooperation and respect you will have to earn it, as I have earned every one of my abilities," he said and then backed away a step. "So, any more of these rules Mister Stark?"

Tony's jaw was clinched in anger, Loki tilted his head to the side. The other Avengers were looking between the two of them worriedly. Loki gave tony a nod and then turned away to head back into the kitchen. He moved around Steve in the kitchen as if he was use to it. Thor watched them and his brows knitted together in thought. 

"Friend Loki," Thor started. 

Loki bit his tongue to stop himself from saying, 'Brother' and instead, "yes Thor?" 

Thor looked at him and worked his mouth, Loki waited and then shrugged. "You seem to know your way around," he said then waved his hand in the kitchen.

"Ah the Asgardian belief of the kitchen in cooking fires is a womanly thing? That mixed with my seidr, it makes you uncomfortable to be around me?" Steve then straightened his back and looked at Thor. 

"Just because some men like to cook doesn't mean they are womanly Thor," Steve said and Loki smirked playfully. 

"Ah but you are different Captain, you use brute force in battle like any warrior of Asgard, and not magic, he is combining the two and trying to understand how he should act around me. Please make no mistake Thor, I can be just as deadly in a fight as you," he said. "Regardless of my preferences."

"Wait," Clint looked up from his phone from the couch. "You're into guys?"

"You have such a way with words, I have had a wife in the past, as I have had a husband in the past, both were lost due to large misunderstandings," Loki explained. 

"Did they die?" Tony asked. 

"No, both are very much alive," Loki said. "I speak with my ex-wife on occasion. We still get along well enough."

"Oh good, I was worried you might actually be a psychopathic killer or something," Tony said. 

"Thank you for the vote of confidence," Loki smirked as he started laying out plates around the table. When an alarm blared. 

"Avengers, a fire witch is setting loose some crazy fire hell cat things in East Village, get to it," said a female voice. Loki had noted that Fury had died some years back and Miss Hill had taken his place as head of Shield. 

"Well, I guess we'll eat when we get back," Steve said. "Suit up and lets get rid of the fire beasts. Loki we'll be back."

"Am I to sit here like a child to wait?" Loki asked.

"You're a healer remember," Tony said and they all gathered in the elevator and left. Loki watched them and then tapped his lips with his finger. He wasn't going to stay here. 

"Jarvis?" Loki asked. 

"Sir?" 

"Where is the area that Mister Stark designed was mine?"

"One level up sir," Jarvis said and he teleported to the area and looked around. The bed was new, the furniture was new, and all his stuff was packed in boxes and sat to the side of the elevator doors.

Natasha walked in already dressed in her body suit. Loki lifted an eyebrow at her. She walked over and opened her hand to an ear communication piece. Loki magicked his armor on and took the ear piece from her and placed it in his ear. He didn't turn it on. 

"I am not so stupid as to believe you wouldn't come along. We haven't been able to get to the scene fast enough to catch the witch in action yet, let alone see one for more than a few seconds," she said and the elevator opened again to show Thor entering. Loki lifted a brow. "I have to fly the quinjet and I doubt I will be useful for a fight with magic. Tony's off, you only have a few minutes." She said and turned and left. Loki looked to Thor as he adjusted the ear bud and nodded his head. 

"Ready when you are," Thor said. 

Loki teleported them to a building top in East Village area. Closing his eyes, he ported them again right behind the witch summoning more hell cats. The woman spun around and looked at them. She had fire orange hair and her black clothing with red and yellow embroidery. Thor glared holding his hammer. As soon as they landed Loki summoned an anti-teleportation circle. The woman glared at Loki once she tried to vanish, he watched as her red aura of magic was called forth and then was denied. 

"You have someone of magic on your team Avenger?" the woman slurred. Loki knew what false power infused voices sounded like, and this was one. Her voice was just on the edge of being drunk, that point where it was almost too much. She moved her hands and fire was conjured around them, just on the inside of his anti-teleport circle, it made the area hot, blistering so. Luckily Thor was Asgardian, and he was Jotun, so what burns they would have gotten healed over faster than to give. "I will take your head to my king, and he will make me Fire Mistress."

Thor rushed at her and Loki stood and watched as the large Asgardian sung his hammer around, magic licking at Thor's flesh and part of it melted and he fell back and looked at his arm and then at the woman. Loki looked at his nails as Thor tried again, throwing the hammer at the woman as she became fire itself and it passed harmlessly through her. 

"Hey wow you're fast," Tony said over the comm. Loki smiled and turned it on. 

"Teleportation is very handy, I have the witch caged," Loki said and then burning red eyes turned on him. "And it seems I finally caught her attention away from Thor."

"Hey, don't get injured now, you're the healer and these things are hot!" Tony said. 

"Yes, Thor already has charred skin," Loki responded looking at Thor before he threw up a shield to block the fire blast from the witch. Thor backed away from the stream of fire hitting the shield. 

"Anyone that doesn't have fire proof clothing and armor should stay away from the beasts," the Captain said. "Loki is there anything you can do?"

"Why Captain I thought I was suppose to sit at home and wait for the Avengers to save the day," Loki smirked. 

"Loki," Natasha chided.

Loki chuckled through the comm. "Yes Captain, the witch has borrowed power, its not her own," he said as the flames died down and Thor looked at him, hammer ready but didn't strike.

"Can you do anything about it? Can you even attack?" Steve asked. "Or are you purely defensive?"

Loki hums a moment over the comm as Toy hovers over them, watching the witch in her bouts and streams of red orange and white blue fire. "That much feel like an oven," Tony says. "You Asgardians are crazy. So fire witch has made a circle of fire and a dome of white blue flame, I cant get close, I don't know how hot she can make it and I rather not be a roasted Stark in an Iron suit."

"Loki?" Captain asked. 

"Yes Captain, I can, I would prefer not to, but I can attack. As for the fire beasts running around, try and keep their damage reasonable, or if you think you can lead them into water that would be better. I have two options with the witch herself," Loki said. Thor looked at Loki. 

"What are they?" Captain asked. 

"I can flash freeze her, it will likely kill her," Loki said. "Or I can drain her magic, which might leave her alive."

"Any option that doesn't involve the possibility of death?" Captain said, and Loki frowned. 

_Hadn't I taught you that you can't save everyone?_ "Capture will be nearer impossible withing perpe-" Loki stopped mid sentence as the flames grew around the woman and her hands grew larger and sharp claws replaced delicate nails, scales formed on her hands and arms, and her half her face grew scales and three horns on her forehead back along her ear ridge, the eye darkened and turned a blazing gold. The scales shimmered red in the fire light. "Oh."

"Oh?" Captain asked. "Oh what? Visual Tony?"  

"Witch lady turned into freaky half lizard witch lady." Tony answered and dodged out of the way of the whip like fire that was escaping the fire dome. "And the fire is so much hotter. How is Thor?"

"Not good," Loki said and looked to a sweating and panting Thor. "Before you ask the green magic circle is my anti-teleport magic, but..." he looked at Thor. He hadn't done anything like this since their teenage years against the swamp trolls. Back then he had done anything for his brother, Thor wasn't his brother any longer. 

"But what Lokes?"

The woman rushed them, claws ready to strike. 

Loki moved the shield at full power to Thor and shoved him through the fire and magic, the Thunderer taken off guard stumbled out, the shield vanished from him. Loki had the witch's left claws in his forearm and his dagger out blocking the other. He left out a sigh. "I hate this method of winning."

"Loki are you alone in there?" Captain asked as he looked out the back of the Quinjet with Barton beside him aiming his bow. "What method?"

"Brute force, deal with the hell cats, Thor's rain will help weaken them, don't touch them barehanded and fight fire," Loki breathed it sounded more like a resigned sigh than anything else, as he really didn't like doing things this way. He was quick and knocked his elbow into the woman's face, and then jabbed his hand forward, breaking her nose. He followed her as she stumbled back. Weaving a spell in his hand he shuddered at the feel of it, and nearly got sick just thinking about this spell. She went to slash at Loki, he caught her arm and cracked his knuckles on the inside of her elbow, she let out a screech as black runes wrapped around the woman's right arm. She pulled away and backed up. Weaving another spell in his hand his green eyes watched her, her fires weren't so hot any longer. He heard the storm beyond the bubble of flame and heard the fighting below. 

She pulled up a shield of fire and he tore it down easily, the silver and green dagger landing in her thigh a moment later. Black runes forming on her thigh and calf. Another scream, tore from her throat. 

Loki remembered what that magic felt like and he shuddered. He never wanted to feel its effects again, and he wouldn't, now that he knew how to make them, he can tear them away, the the memory is still there. It still haunts him. The first few weeks as Odin's prisoner with them, nearly 30 years ago. Her magics had died down now, she was fighting purely with force now, the small flames licked at the anti-teleport circle. He didn't need it any more. He flipped the second dagger in his hand and looked at her half draconic form. She rushed him, blinded by rage and anger, the force of emotions of her magic. He let her. He let her sink her claws and teeth into his arm as he dove the dagger into her side. The magic binding and wrapping around her body even now, unseen. Then she crumpled to the roof. Loki looked at his arm and rubbed his hand over it. The teeth and claw marks healed themselves over. 

Dismissing his magic circle he walked over to Barton as he looked at the battle below. The Avengers were making quick work of the hell cats in the rain. Crushing their magical heart stones easily with the weakened creatures. Barton looked over his shoulder at the woman laying on the roof. 

"Dead?" he asked her. 

"Unfortunately no," Loki whispered. "Magic is bound however," he went on. "She will not be pleased when she awakes." He watched Captain look around the battle field and lifted his hand to his ear. Loki beat him to it. "She is down Captain, alive, bound, and will likely have an explosive temper when she awakes."

"Oh great so she's a hot head," Tony remarked. 

"Purely a spit fire," Loki continued a twitch of his lip in a smile. 

"Hey! Reindeer Games plays along!" Tony said. 

"Who?" Loki heard Clint, Captain and Thor asked. 

"I... I don't know," Tony said and sounded confused. "Ignore it." 

Loki knew and he stood there in the rain, his head bowed forward, hands clinching at his sides.  _I can do this... I will NOT care for him this time. He will NOT worm his way into my shattered heart. He WILL pay.... But it hurts, Norns, its terrible pain._

 


	19. Tony

Tony stood at the bar watching the Avengers interact with Loki. It was a couple of days ago that they had finally brought in the Witch. She was locked in some underground Shield base somewhere. Her magic sealed away by some magic that Loki did. Speaking of the man was curled on the couch, in a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt, his feet bare and tucked to his side as he leaned on one arm. Natasha had her back against the other arm of the couch and her legs stretched out where they rested on one of Loki's calves. Thor was sitting on the floor just off to the side, his knees up and ankles crossed on the floor, his arms resting on his knees. Clint was in a chair leaning forward, both feet on the ground and hands clasped together. Banner was in another love seat and scratched his head as he leaned forward as well, and Steve was beside him, sitting straighter, they were all gathered around the coffee table and the game upon it. It was a simple game, uno was, mostly for kids. But the way that Steve studied his hand was comical. Tony watched as Loki's eyes became alight with joy. He walked up behind Loki and looked at what was played. A yellow six.

"What's wrong Cap?" Steve asked.

"Sitting next to Loki, I am being cautious," he said before he placed a 4 down.

"If you are always this cautious Mister Rogers, I am surprised the misses has two children, let alone one," Loki said and revered it back to the Captain.

"That's not nice, now I have to deal with you and Thor!" Natasha said and poked Loki with her foot, hard. Meanwhile Steve tried to cool his burning face with a drink as he looked at his cards again.

Tony leaned on the back of the couch and watched the game, his scotch dangled between Loki and Natasha. After a few goes he brought the cup up, but it was gone from his hand. Loki was drinking it, "that was mine," Tony said. It caused the others to look up at him. Loki included.

"Oh? You were tapping me with it, so I figured it was for me," Loki said. Clint and Thor laughed.

"You owe me a drink."

"I do don't I?" Loki asked a bit more somber than what was necessary. He shrugged and uncurled himself from the seat. Tony took his place and his cards as the other walked to the bar, he looked at the cards and he smirked.

"Loki has a much better poker face," Clint said taking a drink of his beer. His eyes moved to the man in question and Tony watched as Loki practically stalked back up to the sitting area. He sat on the arm of the couch and handed Tony his scotch and then crossed his legs lightly looking at the game in progress.

It was relaxing, and fun. It wasn't often they were all together laughing and having a good time. Tony liked it like this and he wished the fighting would just stop. They ordered Chinese and played several more rounds and drank a lot more. It was well into the morning hours when Steve called an end to the fun. Tony stood up, but Loki caught him.

"Thor, will you grab the other drunk one? I will take him," Loki said really loudly or was it softly next to his head. His head spun for a second before he was falling into a soft surface.

Tony grinned when he felt his shoes and socks being taken off. "Com'n t' bed w'th me swe'th'art?" Tony tried. He felt Loki pause before yanking the jeans off him.

"No," Loki said. "You're drunk."

"Don' be like tha' Lo," Tony said sitting up before Loki could get him into his bed properly. He reached out and ran his fingers through Loki's hair and leaned down. His eyes half closed, watching as Loki pressed his own lips into a thin line. Loki placed his hand against his chest and pushed him back into his own bed. The dark haired man followed and leaned over him. He couldn't help it he let out a small victory moan. He looked up drunkenly at Loki laying on him and he felt cool fingers on his lips. 

"Hush now Anthony," Loki whispered very close to his lips. His hands moved to Loki's hips and pressed himself against the dark haired male over him. "You are drunk, and I refuse to be one of your pleasures for your drunken night. Sweet dreams." Loki whispered and it took several minutes before he realized that the other was no longer over him, and he was half on half off the bed with his pants around his knees and a painfully obvious erection. 

He lay there and let out a breath. "That was awkward... I got turned down..." he said his mind quickly fading from its drunken state at that thought.  He finished undressing and flopped back down into bed. "Huh..." Tony said into the darkness. 

 

The next morning Tony walked down into the Avengers common area to Loki leaning against the counter looking at that old phone still. The smell of bacon filled the room. "Where is Captain Spangle?" Tony asked scratching his stomach as he walked over and stopped when Loki offered him a cup of coffee, Tony took it without thinking and only after three mouth fulls looked to Loki. "I don't... thank you?"

Loki looked over his shoulder as he flipped the bacon and stirred the potatoes. "The Captain went to shower and dress for the day after this morning practice, Mister Barton is out on the balcony nursing a hangover, Mister and Misses Odinson are still in bed, Misses Rogers is also still in bed and the two Rogers children are off to school, Doctor Banner is in his lab," Loki said and went back to cooking. 

"I should still be in bed." Tony said and rubbed his head. He really should be, and then he thought about his bed and looked to the other standing there. Today Loki was in a dark green long sleeved shirt and loose, hugged in all the right places black jeans, and black socks. His hair was pulled back into a pony bun and Tony poked it. That got the other to look at him with his bright green eyes again and Tony grinned. "Hey. So, last night."

"You were drunk," Loki said. 

"Yeah, but," Tony leaned against the island counter and watched Loki pick up his phone and look at it. "Why do you still have that old thing?"

"Because its mine, and it is something I will keep after the trail course," Loki said easily. 

"You still sound like you wont be staying," Tony mumbled into his coffee. 

"For the moment, I wont be," Loki answered and Tony lowered the mug. 

"Why?" Narrowing his eyes at Loki's hum he finished his first cup of coffee but before he could do anything Loki snatched it from his hands and was making him a second cup. There was a second up on the counter, a deep orange mug that was earthenware that Banner favored for his tea. "No really why? Tea or coffee?"

"Coffee in the mornings, tea in the eve," Loki said and turned the bacon off after moving it off to a towel to the side. He pushed the skillet back and took out another and got the eggs from the fridge. 

"You cook... I want to keep you." Tony said. 

Loki looked at him as Steve entered the room and looked at Tony and then to Loki. "All yours Mister Rogers," Loki said and backed away getting the bread out and pulling the toaster closer. 

"Thank you," Steve said. "Morning Tony."

"Morning Steve," Tony said watching Loki. Steve had plates pulled down and was starting to make them when Clint walked in and saw them all in the kitchen. Natasha walked in and Loki was already holding out her coffee cup as she took it without thinking and sat at the table. A moment later Thor entered and Loki handed him a large mug with coffee and milk and then finished the toast. Really how did the guy know? Had to be magic. Had to be. Right? He looked at his mug of coffee and then tapped it. Once everyone was at the table Steve sat plates down before everyone and as a show of something he assumed, Loki hopped on the counter with his plate. "You're not an outsider you know."

Loki hummed lightly as he ate, but said nothing to Tony. 

"About the witch," Steve started. "Loki and Banner will be seeing to her."

"I am just a healer Captain, I am not one of your Avengers."

"Maybe, but until Doctor Strange gets back-" 

"Then wait until Doctor Strange returns," Loki said. "I already did more than was asked of me," he tilted his head. "Again I am not an Avenger."

"You could be friend Loki!" Thor said, Tony watched Loki's expression but it hadn't changed from thoughtful and the slow eating. Tony found himself staring at the Jotun. 

"What what would I avenge Thor?" Loki asked after a pause and then the group looked at each other. "That begs a good question, why are you called the Avengers anyway?"

Tony crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair causing the chair to tip back. They all looked at each other. It was Tony that spoke which surprised him, "we may not be able to save the world, but we'll be damn sure to avenge it..." he looked confused after saying that. Loki hummed lightly and shrugged his shoulder. 

"So you prevent your world from falling into chaos, I can understand that desire." He hopped off the counter and Tony watched him put his plate in the sink. "The answer is still no," he said to the Captain and with that Loki left the common area likely to his room or the library. 

"Huh..." Tony said and looked about. "Anyone else feel odd?"

"Odd how friend Stark?" Thor asked as he still ate looking at them. 

Tony shrugged, "I don't know. Just-"

"Unease but not unease," Natasha said. Tony nodded. Natasha shrugged her shoulders. "I would prefer that Loki stay here and be the healer."

"You don't trust him?" Steve asked. 

Natasha looked at him and took a bite of her toast. 

 


	20. Chapter 20

After lunch Doctor Strange arrived at the tower, Steve introduced Loki and Strange to each other. Loki smiled at him as they shook hands and then Strange did smile. "A mage, wow, never thought I would see one."

"Typically you wont, not on Midgard," Loki said looking at Strange. 

"Right, what's the difference?" Clint asked. 

Loki looked at Strange and smirked slightly. "While artifacts and items make Loki stronger he doesn't need them to channel his magical energies though, nor does he need to make all the hand signs that Strange needs to. On a whole, Strange is limited in his abilities while Loki as much more that he is able to do." Natasha said looking up from her phone. "While both can preform some of the same spells, because Loki is longer lived and he is far superior to that of a human."

"That is one way of putting it yes," Loki said. "Also Mage's are born, not taught, and we can store power as well to use later. Magical cores are on average larger." He gave a shrug. "But for a midgardian you aren't bad."

"I will take that as a compliment then," Strange said. 

"So what is a witch then?" Tony asked, "you call the women witches but I have a feeling that doesn't just deal with their gender."

"Gender has no role in it at all Stark, you could in theory be a witch," Loki said and sat down on the couch pulling his phone out himself. "Strange?" 

The man shook his head. "The power is different that's all I know," he answered. 

"Then we shall have a magical lesson then, really this should have been in the basics," he said and sat his phone on the arm of the couch and made five full translucent images in the middle of the room. One was Doctor Strange, and one was Loki himself, one was a middle aged man with a book and runes, one was a woman that looked like the one down stairs with markings over her and one was a plain human. "Lets start with what you know," Loki said and the Strange image solidified and had color to it. It started to move its hands in the way Doctor Strange did to cast spells. "Sorcerers are beings that have a little to their magical core naturally and mostly rely on items to have a connection to the Seidr of the realm. They can be powerful, but that connection is based on items to ground them," he said. "They preform the runes and such around them to cast spells using their bodies to connect their words into the magic of the realm." He waited a bit and then the illusion went back to transparent and then his solidified and colored. 

"Mages are born. Their magical core grows or shrinks depending on the amount of magic they cast and how often, they can store magical energies and convert it into their own Seidr and use it when needed, they can also draw upon the magic of the realm and use it to replenish their core. They can use the magic of the realm itself without a grounding item. They need not draw the runes for the connection of their bodies to channel the forces of magic. A mage cannot be made," he said and then his image became transparent again. 

"That's the two types that we covered," he said and lights appeared under the three. "Witches, Wizards and Magic Users are the three remaining types. Lets do the easy one. A Magic User." he said an the image of a normal person solidified and colored neutral colors, plain. "They are created, typically by an artifact or of if Idunn's apples unlocking their magical core. They have small amounts, their core can grow, but they will never be like a Mage. They can cast spells, but the more advance workings of complicated wards and spell words they can never cast. That being said they are the third most powerful of all the magical gifted." he waved his hand about. "They can only draw and cast from their core." With that the image of the plan human became the transparent illusion again. 

Next was the man with the book and runes about him. 

"Let me guess, Wizard." Tony said. 

Loki nodded his head. "Wizards have no core and they can only use artifacts, and rune casting to cast spells. They have to prepare their runes and spells before they can do anything, writing on the ground or in the air, their spells are pure words and take a lot of time to cast. Their strong suit is studying magical texts and artifacts having a complete understanding of the magical arrays around them. Sorcerers and Mages can also cast runic magics, Sorcerers more so than Mages." he said and waved his hand at the image. "These are the people that make magical items, like healing stones, or energy marbles. Their talents used for storing their spell words." 

That image shifted and the last appeared, this time it split into a man and woman, both with tattoos and runes on their bodies. "All magical gifted can be of either gender," he said and watched as they colored into the coloration of the woman down stairs. "Witches are the weakest form of magic," he said almost with a growl. "Often stolen magic, or borrowed magic from another more powerful caster or artifact. They twist the seidr into something of their will with runes and tattoos marring their skin. They have no core and no way of growing stronger. They just are. Without the supply of magic into their system their magical abilities will fade and die, leaving them... bare. They can only use the bare bones of magic, no spell words and very limited in their abilities." With that the image became translucent again like the rest. 

"So which is the most powerful?" Clint asked. 

"Mages," Thor supplied. "They are born with magic, it is apart of them and it cannot be stripped or taken from them."

"Well," Loki said. "It can be, but the Mage would die. To take the seidr from a mage is like draining a human of blood. There is a point where it is too much," he said and made the illusions vanish. 

"So how powerful are you?" Clint asked. 

"Hey good question Tweety," Tony said. 

Loki shrugged. "Powerful enough to heal your broken bones and injuries."

"And to seal the witch's magic," Strange put in. 

"Mmm, yes I had nearly forgotten."

"Speaking of, Doctor we would like for you to examine her to see if you can find out where her magic is coming from," Steve said and looking at the spot where the illusion had been and his blue eyes kept glancing at Loki. Who had picked up his phone again. 

"That would depend on if she has any magic left," Strange said to Steve.

"By now, she should be on dregs, depending on the power that she stole. If you're going to do something do it quick." Loki curled his legs up on the couch. 

"You should come with me," Strange said. 

"No thank you Doctor, I am just a healer," Loki said. Strange nodded and he and Banner left the floor. 

"You could do so much more Loki, I wonder why you don't." said Thor as the thunderer sat on the couch next to him. Loki looked at him and he opened his mouth but closed it again opting to being quiet as Strange did some of his golden sorcery and Banner asked questions. 

"Why are you attacking?" Banner started asking.

There was no response and then after a moment she looked up at him. "To be the top."

"The top of what?" Banner looked confused and Tony and Steve moved closer to the monitor. Thor remained seated next to Loki who looked up from his phone. 

"The tower, to be the element," she said and started to shake. 

Banner looked at the camera and made a open hands gesture to it. "What tower?"

"You have to let me go... the magic... I will loose it! I am a Mage! You cannot keep these bindings on me... please... its torture."

Loki scoffed at that, stood up and shook his head, he started walking away. 

"Where are you going?" Steve asked. Loki stopped and looked at him. 

"I have plans Captain, or am I a prisoner for some reason?" Loki asked. 

Steve shook his head. After that Loki was quickly walking out of the tower and down the street, he looked at the cameras as he passed no doubt that Jarvis was able to see him. He walked to cafe about four blocks from the tower and sat down in one of the chairs. He sat down his phone, soon a man sat in front of him. His long black hair pulled back and red eyes looking at Loki carefully. Loki smiled. 

"Ah, so it is a stray elf come to midgard," he said and when the waitress came over to them he smiled at her. "Coffee please, for both of us." She nodded and walked away. 

"Loki," the man said and leaned back. "We're being watched."

"That's alright," he said. "So nice of you to get my invention."

"You weren't subtle," the man said. Loki smiled. 

"I never am." Loki leaned forward and looked at the elf's red eyes. "What do you want with the Seidr towers?"

"I am not a typical villain Loki."

"No," Loki whispered as their coffee was sat on the table and he took his cup and leaned back in the chair. He watched the elf over the rim of his cup as the male took a sip of his coffee. The elf froze in place his lips turning black around the edges. "You are far more stupid." He smiled and sat the cup down the waitress walked over to Loki. "Too cocky, and too easy to goad into a meeting." Loki crossed his legs and laced his fingers as he leaned back. 

"It won't kill him right?" the woman ask as she pulled off the blond wing and shook out her black hair. 

"Not in these doses," Loki said. 

"Illusion?" 

Loki looked at her. "Been in place since he sat down. He's all yours after I ask some questions."

"I would prefer to get him back to the cells of Asgard Loki."

"I know, but understand the reason why I called you in the first place Lady Sif," he smiled at looked at the stern faced woman standing beside him. She had to strain not to roll her eyes. 

"As your questions."

"Just one question and then you can take him and show him to Thor and the others," he said and leaned forward laced fingers resting on the table. "Where are the towers?"

The elf glared and his body shook as his veins were turning black. Loki watched him carefully. "My Witches will still do as I had bid them... Your search is pointless."

Loki was watching him in the eyes and then he smiled. "Ah... so you need them to show you the way... taking power without knowing the source, that's why its unstable," Loki's lip twitched. "He's all yours Lady Sif. And remember, you never met me," looks at the elf, Loki lifted a hand and touched his forehead. "And you cannot speak of word of Loki."

Sif pulled the elf up and locked his hands together behind his back as Loki leaned back in his chair opening a book. "You want none of the credit?"

"None Lady Sif, you captured him. Thor and the Avengers should be in the tower," he said and she lingered for a moment. He watched her with his dark green eyes as she hauled the elf away, and slowly the illusion faded around him and he looked to Avenger's tower. The day was slightly chilled and overcast, but the busy New York streets were filled with life and people. None of then knew the threat that sat among them, the horror he could inflict on them, the army he could create and bring down on them. The fall of midgard.

Maybe at one point.

A long time ago, before the failed invasion. 

"My world was destroyed... now its time for me to avenge it... I guess I am an Avenger after all..." he took a sip of his coffee while looking at the tower. "But you will know betrayal and pain." he smiled and sat the cup down and took up his book again. He would give Sif an hour head start before he would pop in. The witches will still be a problem until he can find the towers. He had traced the magic back to that elf, when he had talked to the fire witch... where he got the power was unseen, and when Loki sent the invention through her connection, well that was a gamble really. Had he gone into hiding it would have been so much worse. When Loki got a reply he was nearly giddy with anger, then he had to go to Asgard and request the assistance of Lady Sif. 

Odin had not liked that. As he could not change the memories of other realms, it was a real danger. But Odin had done nothing more than lecture him, yelled really, and had complied with getting Lady Sif to come to midgard. All this before lunch, and the Avengers were still chasing their tails in the tower. How they managed to survive was a wonder to Loki. Then again, they would get there, at some point. They always do. 

"Which is why I need to be very careful," he said and looked at his phone. 

 


End file.
